Always there for me
by Esteban T. Rodriguez
Summary: Two friends from broken relationships find comfort and love from each other amid the worlds' deadliest conflict. Cid X Tifa. Rated for the whole lovely violence/language/sex package. Incredibly sorry for the insane delay in uploading!
1. Chapter 1: Separate Hearts

_The day had already gone to the fuckin' dogs_, Cid Highwind thought to himself, finding some solace as he took a drag from the cigarette that perpetuated the corner of his lips. Feeling the labor his heart as it strained through each puff, feeling the tar coat his lungs and feeling the rush of nicotine that coursed through his systems gave him the pleasure that something in this world would be the constant, that wouldn't change overnight, or up and leave him someday.

God, he missed her.

The house in Rocket Town was now all but deserted. Instead of smelling the lingering scent of lilac and the immaculate kitchen counter when one came in, all you could see was air so blue from the chain-smoking pilot within, dishes rarely being done, and the freezer full of instant dinners that Shera would never have approved of. Opened bottles of liquor about, being either nursed or downed to wash away the pain that would have had that same whitecoat tight-lipped and not spoken to the pilot for a week.

Don't even get him started on how he'd put his feet, still booted on the coffee table as he watched TV. She'd have torn him a new one for that.

But now she was gone, leaving Cid Highwind all alone. Packed her little bag and moseyed on over to the Golden Saucer, now making excellent money as a bar hostess. She wrote Cid every once in a blue moon, talking about the tips she got, the clientele, and Brian, the new man in her life.

That made Highwind feel sickeningly inadequate, despite the fact that he knew he brought it on himself.

Months ago, he would have killed for these simple pleasures. But now, the cost made them bittersweet.

Now, all Cid was left with were his memories, a bottle and the smoking stick in his mouth that was slowly killing him.

He'd tried to get his old friends up on the phone, with no success. Nanaki, or Red as Cid always knew him was out in Cosmo Canyon, getting reacquainted with himself, as well as having deep conversations with Cait Sith. (Despite the fact that he was just a stuffed animal, he had a surprising amount of intelligence.) Barret was off prospecting for oil, getting the rigs up so that people wouldn't have to rely on Mako energy anymore. Vincent Valentine wasn't much of a drinking buddy, but he was already off doing God knows what. Yuffie was off in Wutai, which suited Cid just fine. Every time they talked, she cracked something about his age and rambled on until he was sure he was going deaf, or dying of boredom and not giving a damn. Cloud was just too damn moody for Cid's liking and Tifa was insanely busy in Edge with her refurbished Seventh Heaven.

_Too bad,_ Cid thought. _She mixes a killer gin and tonic, and holds a good conversation...Hell, maybe I just miss female company._

Cid dragged a rough hand across his weary eyes. It had already been a tough day, with everything that could possibly go wrong occurring. First, he woke up late, broke a critical engine part for his prized Tiny Bronco, and ordering a ludicrously expensive one that would take two weeks to arrive. And the fact that Shera was gone only rubbed salt in his already raw wound.

Stabbing the remote forward, the fantasy on the screen vanished with a click, and Cid Highwind went to bed. It was already one in the morning, there was nothing worthwhile to watch anyway. All he could do was close his eyes and hope that tomorrow would be good for something.

After a good half-hour of trying to sleep, Cid's thoughts began to trail back to the glory days, fighting Meteor to try and save the planet.

One memory in particular crossed his mind, having blood flowing south and an old desire burning in Cid's heart...

---

It was deliciously warm, almost hot inside Holzoff's cabin, where the party had vetoed Cloud's idea of pressing forward without some decent rest. Besides, the sun had set and the temperature would only continue to fall.

Cait Sith and Red took residence on the carpet, the giant of a Mog in tow. Barret fell asleep, sonring happily in a chair near the fireplace. Cloud took up a cot, while Vincent leaned up against a pillar, sleeping lightly so as to act as a sort of scout. Yuffie curled up beside Red, using him as a pillow. That left a spare room, where Cid and Tifa decided to take up residence for the night. With little talk, (Involving Cid's smoking and how he was only killing himself.) they fell asleep, the clear moon shining through.

Normally, Cid Highwind preferred to be too hot than too cold, this was an extreme exception. He was in his undershirt and boxers, and he was still almost breaking a sweat. He heard Tifa rustling some beside him, presumably having the same trouble as he.

If the problem lay anywhere, it was that the soles of his feet were too damn hot! One of Cid's pet peeves from all the standing, walking and running he did was that the calluses trapped heat inside.

Impatiently, Cid checked his watch, reading two-thirty. _Fuck sakes, this is gonna hit me tomorrow._

Turning over onto his left side and desiring something to pass the time, he whispered "Hey Lockheart, you awake?"

Her negative response gave him the answer he needed. But he saw her, turned away from him on her left arm. The covers were pulled down so they covered her front, but left her back exposed, peaking at her hip. She had obviously gotten too hot and taken her clothes off, consciously or otherwise. Her naked back was exposed, the moonlight reflecting off her supple flesh. Only a small portion of her backside was exposed, leaving the rest of the sensual picture of her curves to the imagination, where it belonged.

She was the most beautiful sight Cid Highwind had ever laid eyes on, and he knew it. He let out a small moan of pleasure and surprise, feeling animal instincts running high. She was so beautiful and so close, himself extremely tired and lonely, and he and Shera were never really _formally_ together...

Before Cid Highwind's instincts told him to grab Tifa Lockheart and violate her, his brain kicked in and he vocalized what it told him.

"I need a fuckin' smoke..."

He pulled on his boots and jacket, leaving the sleeping angel to herself.

---

That was the past. Three years ago. And now, Cid Highwind cursed himself for bringing that back up. It only hurt him more to think that he was still alone. The wet spot he'd left in the covers proved he enjoyed remembering it, detail for detail, but it only tore the wound in his heart open even more.

Even if Shera was gone, Tifa all but belonged to someone else. And that made Cid Highwind sick with jealousy.

He cursed and turned over, falling into a dreamless sleep, void of either the woman he missed or the guilty pleasure of Tifa Lockheart.

---

Closing was a double edged sword. It was something to look forward to, getting to go home and do your own thing until the next day, but it was also a terror to clean up everything so you wouldn't have to do it the next day, while customers pounded their mugs, demanding more booze. And then it was killer during the slow times.

Tonight was slow for Tifa Lockheart. And she hated just standing around, with everything done, waiting for the time to pass, or until a customer came in.

But, as was normal on a Sunday evening, Seventh Heaven was deserted.

Tifa hated Sundays. One always had to go to school, or suffer the end of a weekend on Sundays. She never liked that feeling ever since she was five or so.

Sunday was also the day when he left...

She couldn't exactly blame him. Plain ol' Tifa Lockheart, bartender by day, fist fighter by night, one of a million other fish in the great sea of life versus beautiful, young, intelligent, one-of-a-kind Aerith Gainsborough. Tomboyish friend or beautiful lady, Tifa could do the math. Cloud had to follow his own path, but that didn't make it hurt any less. _Dammit Cloud, what the hell's wrong with ME?_

Her heart still ached with loneliness. Tonight was one of the nights she let her mind wander to things that didn't constitute a professional attitude.

Tifa was a lonely person at heart. She was always used to doing things herself, only having to rely on herself for what she needed. For nearly ten years she had done that, winning her own bread and doing her own thing. She had her friends, of course, but there was an itch on her back, a nagging prospect and need in the back of her mind that her friends just couldn't scratch or sedate.

Sure, petting Red or scratching Cait Sith under the chin was nice, or one of Vincent's firm handshakes or Barret's bone crushing hugs, even the playful slap on the shoulder from Cid Highwind after a good fight was nice. But she yearned for someone to _hold,_ to feel safe in their arms. And for a while, she told herself that Cloud would be the one who would meet that need for her.

_Look how that turned out_, Tifa told herself reproachfully. In the deserted bar, she wasn't sure if she said that out loud or not.

Finally fed up with the lack of customers, Tifa cleaned the bar one last time, gave the floor a good sweep and mop, polished the brass and called it a night, leaving the ghosts of the past to frolic with her memories in the dark room.


	2. Chapter 2: Two Suprises

Thank you all for the kind reviews. If you like this pairing, there's a few good fics on this site and a video I made (A pseudo-trailer as it were) on Youtube. Just search for the pairing (CidxTifa. That's the correct way to type it in.) Hope you enjoy!

---

Cid woke the next morning to the accusatory ring of the phone. Cursing like a wounded pirate, he toppled out of bed and stumbled to the phone. He snatched it out of his cradle and answered the way he always did when he was lacking tea or a smoke. Or both.

"What?!"

"_Whaddup, Cid! It's Barret!"_

Cid grinned widely hearing the Corel natives' gruff boom. "Barret, how the hell are ya, you old bastard?"

"_Doin' fine! Listen, you comin' to the party?"_

"The hell you talkin' bout?" Cid frowned. No one ever told him about no party.

"_Birthday bash, Cid! Out in Cosmo Canyon."_

"Oh, yeah." Cid said. "Who's?" If it was Marlene's he wasn't going to put on a pointy hat and drink imaginary tea, old drinking buddy or not.

You wouldn't know it, but Cid Highwind actually drew the line somewhere.

"_Guess." _

_Dammit, the man's been hangin around around his daughter too much. _Cid cursed mentally. _He's startin' to SOUND like her..._

"Barret, it's six in the fuckin' morning..."

"_Keeps your mind sharp, flyboy!" _came Barret's reply, obviously enjoying this.

"Fine," Cid grumbled and closed his eyes in terror. "Marlene's?"

"_Nope. Close though."_

_Thank GOD! _Cid let out a loud sigh that had Barret thinking it was up to force ten. "Denzel?"

"_Uh-uh."_

"Fuck sakes Barret, who the hell's another foot in the grave?!" Cid Highwind wasn't renown for his patience.

"_You haven't changed a bit."_ Barret said. _"It's Tifa's."_

Whatever hint of fatigue that lingered was washed away in the surge of adrenaline that flowed through Cid Highwind. Tifa, seeing her again when he was at his most vulnerable, and what he had delved into the previous evening...

"Yeah," Cid said. "All right."

_"Well, somebody's gotta ask ya if we can borrow the _Highwind_."_ Barret sounded almost apologetic. If Cid knew Barret Wallace, then the man with the gun-arm felt far from it.

"The hell'd you guys do, draw straws?" Cid laughed.

"_Naw, they all voted me."_ Barret said.

"And if I said no?"

_"Then I'm the only one who can get you drunk enough to say yes."_ Cid could see the grin on his old friends face widening.

"Might hold ya to that. Yeah, sure, fine." Cid said. "I'll get to work on her today."

"_You comin', right."_ It didn't sound like a question.

"Maybe." Cid ran a hand over his eyes. A party was the last thing on his mind.

"_The hell you mean, ' maybe'?"_ Barret sounded incredulous. "_You gotta come!"_

"Why me?" Cid said, losing patience again.

_"Well, you da only one who can drive that thing, fo one. Hell, if it's a problem wid Shera, she can come too if she wanna."_

Cid winced. His heart gave an almighty tug and nearly gave. He almost wanted to slam the phone down right then and there, but Barret didn't know yet. Wasn't the poor bastard's fault.

"Shera and me..." Cid began awkwardly. "She, uh..."

"_Aww, _shit, _man." _Barret said, finally clued in. "_I'm sorry."_

"Ahh, my own damn fault." Cid said, self-depreciatingly.

"_Then you gotta come." _Barret reasoned. "_Git you outta dat house and see us. Be good for ya, old buddy."_

Cid pondered and lit a smoke. Yeah, the place was pretty damn lonely without Shera. And seeing everyone again would make both his day and theirs...

"_Look Cid, Spikey's been gone for the better part of a year. She misses him an' she's been feelin' pretty down every time I talk to her. It'd mean a lot to her if ya came, ol' buddy."_

Yeah, the selfish bastard went back into the Lifestream to try and get Aerith back, leaving Tifa all to herself. Cid gritted his teeth, thinking about how she would cry over him, while others were waiting. It would be nice to see her again, to show he was there for her, and Barret said it himself, it'd do them both good.

"Yeah, sure, you old bastard." Cid said. "I'll be there. Y'all need me ta pick you up?"

_"Shoulda been a psychic."_ Barret said.

"Hell, I tried." Cid said. "They didn't like how I put things to people. Said I swore too much."

Barret only laughed. "_Attaboy, Cid. Tomorrow good for pickin' everyone up?"_

"Yeah, sure." Cid said. "See ya then."

The other end clicked off and Cid hung up, leaving the pilot with a nagging question as he dressed.

_What the hell am I gonna get her?_

---

Normally, Fridays were something to look forward to. Get the weekend to yourself, have some fun. Normal wasn't applicable to real life, though. Half the time, you'd be stuck working, while those same people, relishing their youth and unlimited disposable income came and flaunted it in your face. You, who were trying to make ends meet and supply yourself with food and shelter.

Or, you were turning twenty-three and you only had a cupcake with a candle in the fridge with half a quart of milk to show for it. Stuck _working_ on your damnable birthday, no less.

Tifa was just getting ready to open when the door pounded. She let out a small growl of frustration (Coudln't these booze hounds wait _half an hour_ until she opened for lunch?!) and threw the door opened, ready to start screaming at the drunkard. And end up a sobbing mess five minutes later.

She knew she'd regret screaming obscenities at the knocker would only lead to further strife, for she was promptly and violently hugged by a flurry of green and beige.

"TEEEEEFFFFAAAAA!!"

Tifa stumbled back a few steps back, trying to regain the balance Yuffie Kisaragi had upset. Although she hated surprises like this, it was wonderful to see Yuffie again, the little sister she never had.

"Okay, okay, Yuffie." Tifa struggled to get the spindly arms off her ribcage before it gave in. "I can't breathe..."

"Sorry," Yuffie said, followed by a series of nyuk-nyuks. The now eighteen year old hadn't lost any of her exuberance, for she still bounced up and down constantly in a fashion that would make Marlene tired after five minutes. "It's just sooooooooo good to see you again."

"It's always a pleasure..." A silky voice came from the doorway as Red XIII came in, his jowls splayed wide in a welcoming smile.

"Yeh'd tink we forgit aboot yeh, lass?" Cait Sith asked atop Red's headdress.

"What kind of friends would we be then?" Vincent Valentine's cool, melancholy baritone filtered in, as he spread the door wide open.

"Thanks, guys." Tifa smiled. It had been a while since she'd done that. It felt good. "I really appreciate this. You want anything? I open pretty soon."

"Hell nah, you don't." Barret's looming figure filled the doorway. "Not for the whole weekend do you open this joint up."

"But it's the weekend..." Tifa said.

"It's YOUR weekend, Teef." Yuffie folded her arms. "And don't you dare try to talk us outta this, because we've got everything set up."

"Seriously?" Tifa said, her smile only growing wider. "You... all did this for me?"

"You are our friend, are you not?" Vincent reasoned, cocking an amused eyebrow, the extent of any emotion he had ever shown.

Tifa laughed. "Okay, you got me. Just let me make up a sign..."

"Way ahead of ya." Barret said, slapping a piece of cardboard over the door, that looked like he had merely scribbled on.

"Fine." Tifa said. "What do we do now?"

"C'mon." Cait Sith said. "Cid's ootside with the airship."

"We're taking a trip?" Tifa asked.

Everyone merely exchanged glances and beckoned her to follow them up to the roof.

The ship had been an impressive enough sight when Tifa had first leapt onto it while she was escaping Junon. Now, a dipilated as she was, the old airship _Highwind_ loomed over Seventh Heaven to spirit Tifa away from the dull mediocrity of everyday life. Even escaping from Junon, she was never so happy to see the old girl.

Even the lingering smell of oil in the cockpit was present. And she would have guessed it deserted as the lean figure at the helm was nearly motionless. Only from him taking a drag from his cigarette did she know that he was capable of motion, then recognition dawned upon her.

"Cid Highwind," Tifa said, smiling broadly.

Cid nodded, lifting a finger to his goggles. A small grin played across his face, but there was something wrong, almost haunting about his eyes. "Tifa," His voice was a growl of age and hard liquor, but seemed happy to see her.

Although she was happy to see - almost- all of her old friends, she couldn't shake that glare in Cid's sky-blue eyes. Something had cut him deep, and he wanted something. It wasn't her business, but Tifa Lockheart was a curious person by nature. And she always seemed to be able to help in some way...

But before she could even so much as give Cid a hug or ask how it was going, Yuffie scuttled Tifa off to one of the abandoned rooms to talk, and so she didn't get airsick from looking out a porthole. With a backwards shout, she told the "old man at the wheel" to get a move on.

As soon as she was gone, Cid cursed himself, took another drag of his cigarette and gripped the helm. The _Highwind_ lurched forward and began it's trip to Cosmo Canyon.


	3. Chapter 3: Canyon of the Stars

_Hot DAMN, it felt good to be back in the air!_ Cid grinned at himself. Passing over Gongaga Village, near Cosmo Canyon. He treated himself to a jolting barrel roll, wrenching a whoop from Barret and a muffled retch from Yuffie (_Serves her right for callin' me "old"!)._

With extreme precision, Cid brought the _Highwind _to a rest in a canyon, where everyone disembarked. Yuffie leapt off the gangplank first, screeching about how good it felt to be back on solid ground. The trip had lasted the old party half a day, and the sun was beginning it's crimson finale over the hoodoos and valleys.

Cid mused that Barret was indeed right, after he finished fixing his old ship up. The dusty, earthy smell of the air was a far cry from the plant-choking smoke factory he had confined himself to for the past month or so. It did do him good to get out of that damned house, get some fresh air into his aging body before it was too late.

_Damn, I'm startin' to sound like Yuffie..._ The pilot shook his head self-depreciatingly and began a mild jog to catch up to the rest of them. Red had his paws full, trying to keep Cait Sith balanced on his headdress, whilst trying to keep Yuffie from falling down a cliffside from her overexhuberance. Barret was trying to get Vincent to open up, by trying some small talk. Cid noticed it was just as awkward as when he met his first girlfriend's parents. Vincent played his father, stoic and cold, with a reproachful air about him, while Barret tried every trick in the book to get on his good side, much like the young Cid Highwind had attempted to do fifteen years ago.

_Geez, how time has a funny way of catching up to you_

His eye fell on Tifa, laughing at the proceedings, calling to Yuffie to be careful as she would to Marlene. She then supplemented by saying how somethings never changed. Seeing her wide, sincere smile made Cid muse that there was nothing sexier than someone who blatantly didn't know how sexy they were.

He was so caught up in such thoughts that he didn't realize he was staring until he received a friendly punch on the shoulder. "And nice to see you too, Cid." Tifa grinned at him.

Cid gave his head a shake. "My pleasure." He said, before he could think of something a little rougher to say.

"Thanks so much for this." Tifa said. "You - You've no idea how much this means to me."

"Ahh, wasn't my idea." Cid shoved his hands in his pockets, head held high. "I'm just a simple pilot."

"Oh, c'mon." Tifa said. "I think I know you a little better than that. Still, seeing you all again..." She shot a glance at everyone else. "Makes me feel happy. A lot happier than I've been in a long time."

_Yeah, no shit. _Cid thought. Shera and Cloud, two past flames that had just up and left. Somehow, through the sorrow they both felt, the hurt and rejection both probably experienced, somehow made Cid closer to Tifa. In his mind anyway. And such connections have been proven to destroy friendships. Shera had read him enough sappy love stories in her magazines (Her smut, as he used to call them.) for him to know that.

"Well, neither of us are gettin' any younger." Cid shrugged.

"Now you're sounding like Yuffie." Tifa said. Registering his shudder, she asked him "Hit a nerve?"

In his typical Cid Highwind fashion, the pilot sneered "You couldn't hit a nerve if you were laser-guided to the target." And then laughed, proving that he was only joking.

Tifa laughed too, a rich, lovely, joyful laugh that Cid hadn't heard in far too long. Damn, it sounded good.

"Well, enough about me." She said. "How about you? How's Shera doing?"

THAT hit a nerve.

"Well..." Cid scratched the back of his neck. He already had this conversation with Barret. Part of him was glad that Barret respected his privacy; but another was getting pretty damn tired of going through this routine. And Tifa acted as a goddamn white mage throughout their adventures. She of ALL PEOPLE should have appreciated the dangers of opening up old wounds. Especially with that sonuvabitch Strife leaving her to discover necrophilia with Aerith...

_Don't blame Lockheart, you selfish bastard. She doesn't know. And this is her weekend, so make like all's fine and good._

"She's fine." Cid mumbled, averting that crimson gaze that bored into him, stirring both pleasure and pain. "Last time I checked."

"What do you mean, 'Last time'?" Tifa asked, cocking her head to the side. He knew this wasn't like him, all quiet and reserved. She was no fool, she could tell something was up._ Wouldn't love her if she was a fool,_ Cid mused.

Once again, Barret had saved Cid from saying those awful words himself. (_Got yourself an oxymoron there, Highwind. Awful words? YOU?)_ "Yo, Tif? You plannin' on stayin' out there all night? We got dinner ready for us, thanks to that Shinra kitty!"

"Well, I'm hungry." Tifa said, placing a hand on Cid's forearm. Her hand was soft, their fingers slender and beautiful. "You OK, Cid?"

"Yeah, sure." Cid said, thanking Barret a second time. And damn grateful for the change of subject. "C'mon, let's eat."

As everyone found out, everyone got first-class accommodations, thanks to Barret's oil prospecting paying off and Reeve Tuesti supplying a great deal of gil. Through "petty change" that Cid thought stank of Rufus Shinra's covert funding. But, for now, the spear was left aboard the _Highwind_, so all Cid had to do was enjoy himself.

Cait Sith, the mastermind behind the whole weekend, waited until everyone had enough to eat, but not to the point of uncomfortable.He then clambered up onto the table and raised his gloved hands, calling for everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone!" He called. "If everyone is well fed and watered, we now have to take a little trip. Sort of an early birthday present for our guest of honor."

"Where're we going?" Tifa asked. Part of Cid had a feeling she really didn't want to know, but rather asking for arguments' sake. She just seemed to be the kind of girl who liked surprises.

"You'll see." Red smiled and, pausing to let Cait Sith jump on his back, led the way through the termite-like maze that constituted the Cosmo Canyon architecture to the giant steel door that everyone knew.

"The Gi Cave?" Cid cocked a cynical eyebrow. "Cait, the hell are you up to?"

"Oh, don't fret now." The cat smiled, a little too quickly. "Nanaki and I scoured these caves last week and they're completely safe! Now come on, it's not too far."

Tifa eyed Cid up cautiously before she entered. "Walk with me?" she asked, flashing him a smile and batting those fantastic wine-colored eyes of hers.

"Sure." Cid gave her his trademark lopsided grin and took her hand. "Don't be worried about squeezing if you get scared."

The trip down into the depths of the Gi cave was a perilous venture, on false move and one could join those vengeful spirits in death, but the climb was old hat to the former heroes of the planet, as was the long trek through the supposedly haunted caverns. Passing the petrified statue of the warrior Seto, to whom Red gave a howl out of courtesy.

However, just around the next bend, another howl came up, one of malevolence and hate.

"Oh, dear." Cait Sith said. Bending down to consult Red, he murmured "I knew we forgot something."

"So it would seem, my friend." Red concurred.

"What's wrong?" Vincent asked, the first time he had spoken since the party left Edge.

"A pack of Nibel wolves." Red explained. "They've traveled far and wide, seeking challenge as a rite of passage. They've been pestering travelers in these parts for a few months now. I heard that they recently defeated a colony of Sahagi not far from here." He dug his front paw in the dirt and drooped his head in embarrassment. "I think I might have given away our position."

A howl from one of the canyon walls gave a positive response, as the band of eighteen wolves prowled above the party, murder written all over their faces.

"Flanked..." Vincent hissed, drawing his trademark tri-barreled Cerberus pistol.

"Of all the times to leave my spear behind." Cid cursed.

A high-pitched whine came from Barret's arm, as it transformed into a gatling gun apparatus. "Bring 'em on!" He bellowed.

Nanaki let Cait Sith off and said "Seek cover, my friend." The cat did what he was told and the Cosmonian bore his teeth in an animal snarl.

Tifa's hand clamped around Cid's, her soft voice saying "I think I'm scared now."

"Don't worry." Cid whispered back, hoping she wouldn't see the sweat on his brow. "Stick close to me and I'll keep you safe."

The lead wolf leapt down, only to be intercepted by Red with a bone-crunching thud, who flashed his fangs and buried them in to the wolf's neck.

Cid took up a large branch that appeared to be sturdy and light, and twirled it into his ready position. At least he had a fighting chance.

One of the wolves leapt at Cid, who broadsided the beast's head with the butt of his makeshift staff. The satisfying, yet sickening crunch of bone sent the animal into a spiral before landing in the dust and not moving.

In the background, Cid heard the chatter of Barret's gun-arm, as well as the occasional crack from Cerberus. Not time to think about them now! Cid faced three of the beasts himself, looking them straight in the eyes and wondering just how he was going to get out of this one.

"HEEEEEEY!" He heard a familiar shriek. "HERE!"

Yuffie promptly tossed him a small orb of materia. It was red, meaning that it was for summoning. Cid breathed a sigh of relief and almost thanked the Wutai ninja. Almost.

Cid propped the staff behind his neck, and muttered a small oath the call forth the creature from within. Had to get it right, or there would be consequences. Last time Cid had put in a few colorful metaphors of his own design, Ifirit almost burned him alive.

_C'moooon, Bahumut!_ Cid willed, hoping to see the comfort of the King of Dragons. The fissure between the netherworld where the mystical beasts existed and this one opened, releasing the summoned creature.

"KUPOOOOO!"

Choco and Mog burst forth into being and pounded through the few wolves stupid enough to get in their way. Cid shook his head at just how ridiculous it was, in contrast to the dangerous situation. But, take what you can get. One of the many things Cid Highwind had learned throughout his life.

A nearby wolf made a lunge at Tifa, its' jaw spread wide. The cold fist of fear clenched on Cid's heart, wondering how she would fare. The spunky bartender shoved her fist down its' open mouth, going down into its' throat. The wolf withdrew, allowing Tifa to somersault backwards, her foot connecting with the beast's jaw. A sickening crack was heard as it was launched into the air and thrice perforated with a blast from Cerberus.

_Ten down, only eight left_. Cid thought. The odds were getting better, yes, but wild animals like these were the most dangerous when wounded and cornered. Despite their previous exploits, only a fool would let his guard down in this instance.

A two-pronged attack jolted him out of his thoughts. Cid leapt into the air, somersaulted forward and brought his makeshift spear down hard on the second wolf. It howled in pain, causing the other to loop around. Cid pulled the spear out, bringing it around to club the oncoming wolf. It was thrown backwards, landing still a few feet away.

Although her fighting style was geared more towards beings more of her build, Tifa was able to hold her own against the foolhardy wolves who saw her as an easy target. The one in question had withstood a small combination of her fists, as well as a low kick to its' underside, but finally fell when she grabbed the beast by the scruff of the neck, leapt into the air and brought the wolf down hard, with her feet on its' chest. She heard the crack of a few ribs, before its' lungs were punctured and the beast didn't move.

Cait Sith, however, had worse luck. An observant wolf found him out and Cait shrieked. In response, he threw the only weapon he had at the enemy; his dice.

The two white cubes hit the wolf straight between the eyes, and only succeeded in angering it further. Cait Sith, being the housecat that he was, ran for it. He would later hear that this was _not_ the thing to do, for the wolf gave chase, easily outstripping the poor cat.

Luck was on his side, however, for a vengeful wolf took a bite out of Vincent's right arm. Cerberus dropped to the ground out of reflex as his violet eyes went livid and in a haze of purple light, a large beast took Vincent's place, throwing the offending wolf against the canyon wall. The aged rock cracked, with a smear of red left after the wolf corpse fell to the ground. another swipe nearly took one wolf's head clean off. It lay several feet away, it's neck lolling at an impossible angle.

The beast inside Vincent Valentine went wild as he brought another three down with a quick downward punch. He sent a ball of energy towards the one catching up to Cait Sith. The wolf disintegrated, the explosion sending its' quarry flying. Being resilient as he was, Cait Sith simply stood back up and dusted himself off. The Gaian Beast, however, stood in it's place, heaving with exertion.

"Vincent," Yuffie asked. "Vince, are you OK?"

The beast's shoulders seemed to slump, as if starting to relax.

"Vincent," Tifa said, coming up to the monstrosity inside her friend. "It's OK. It's over."

The same glare of purple light appeared, revealing a bushed Vincent Valentine, who dropped to one knee.

"You OK, Vinnie?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent simply rolled his eyes. It was common knowledge that Yuffie _did_ have a crush on Vincent, but whether it was reciprocated was only replied to with it being "my own damn business", as he put it. "I told you not to call me that." Vincent rasped. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... lost my temper, that's all."

"OK," Tifa helped him up and gave her friend a hug to make him feel better. The former Turk, obviously taken aback, but patted her on the back,

Cid harrumphed and lit a much-needed cigarette. Some guys got all the luck, and others got the brunt of hearing how dreamy and moody Vincent was. All Yuffie would ever talk about in his absence was "Vincent this..." and "Vincent that..." and "Vincent thinks this..." and "Vincent likes that...". Made Cid want to fly upside down, just to see the airsick ninja squirm. And now, to see _Tifa_ jumping on that same bandwagon, it was enough to send a flare of jealousy through Cid Highwind.

Barret hauled himself up, dusting himself off from a roll he's taken. The tip of his gun-arm was still smoking. "Everyone OK?"

"Fine now." Vincent retrieved his pistol and holstered it.

"A-OK!" Yuffie chirped, retrieving her prized materia from Cid.

"No damage." Red replied, letting Cait Sith back on his head. The feline responded "Doin' great!"

"I'm OK." Tifa said, putting her gloves away.

"Fine," Cid muttered. "The hell we waitin' round here for?"

"Oh, Good Gracious, I forgot!" Cait Sith announced. "We'd best get a move on, eh?" He asked his ride. Red nodded his agreement and they led the way up above the small crevice they'd been traveling in.

The bare terrain gave way to a wide, shallow sinkhole, full of sand of all different colors.

"Well?" Tifa asked, after the longest of pauses.

"My grandfather told me about this when we discovered it two years ago." Red explained. "The Gi used it for dark magic, to fortell the future. After they were defeated, those who knew how to use it for its intended purpose either forgot or died out."

"So, why are we here?" Tifa put her hands on her hips. Cid could notice the fine hair on her neck (_That delicious looking neck..._) was standing up from the cold.

"The wind does't affect what is put into this mirror." Cait Sith said. "It's possible this will stay here forever."

"But what IS it??" Yuffie asked. The Wutai girl was never the brightest bulb in the ceiling, and she got impatient when it wasn't spelled out and spoon-fed to her.

"A large projector of an image, now." Red said. "Like the one back in the Forgotten Capital."

Without further ado, he let out a howl, stirring the sand and reflecting the image onto the sky.

After a kaleidescope-like flurry of color, the image settled, and everyone saw just what Red and Cait Sith had been working on.

They were all there, the grains of sand mimicking their likenesses perfectly. Barret, Yuffie,Vincent, Red, Cait Sith and his huge mog, Aerith, Tifa, Cid... and Cloud. None of them had aged, not one. Everyone was exactly the same as when they all first met. Each pose suited them perfectly to their persona, Barret with his orangutan-like arms dangling, Yuffie's exuberant, over-the-top, look at me pose, Vincent half-turned away, Cait Sith and Red sharing the front row. Aerith's small smile was still in place, that coy, reserved smile, Tifa had her dukes playfully up while Cid's cigarette dangled from his mouth, his spear behind him.

And Cloud, well, Cloud looked like he always did. Distant, monotone and with the gigantic sword over his shoulder. Cid shrugged and couldn't blame them for choosing this likeness. It wasn't as if anyone had any reference of him for the last year or so.

"Happy Birthday, Tifa." Red said, genuinely smiling.

"Oh, thank you, Red." She leant down and kissed him on the nose. When the other feline cleared his throat, she scratched him under the chin and said "And thank you, C.S. This - This is the best present that anyone has ever given me in a long time."

She turned to the rest of her friends smiling broadly. "And thank you all, for being here to make this special for me. You guys have no idea how much I appreciate it." She clasped her hand over her heart after he said this.

The trip back to Cosmo Canyon was colder, but not as eventful as the trip out. When they reached the inn, Cid made his way up to his suite, and blinked twice before he opened the door to make sure what he saw was really happening.

Tifa gave Yuffie a big hug before retiring to the room right beside his.

"Barret..." Cid hissed. The whole thing stank of the Corellite. Only _he _would have this luck, stuck right beside a beautiful woman that was just out of reach...

"Thought it might help ya, buddy." The gruff boom of Barret sounded over Cid's shoulder. "You two both in de same boat, an' she's good at listenin'."

"Fuck sakes, Barret." Cid said, shaking his head. "She's my friend, not my private goddamn shrink!"

"Who's better at listenin' than a friend or a bartender?" Barret reasoned, cocking his head. "Or both?"

"Ahhh," Cid groaned, hating the logic he was pinned in. "Fine. But you OWE me that fuckin' drink now."

"Tomorrah." Barret said. "Night."

"Night," Cid grunted before retiring.

After he had firmly closed and locked both doors, (The one leading out of his suite and the one leading to Tifa's.) Cid swore and asked himself just how he got himself into this. After a drink from his bag, so that he'd not have to pay room service, he patted himself on the back for his ingenuity and crawled into bed in his underclothes. He made it a point of sleeping on his right side, his back to the door that led to the room which housed Tifa Lockheart.


	4. Chapter 4: Oops

Cid Highwind's eyes shot open the next morning to a loud shriek from next door. It didn't matter where or when it was, but Yuffie still managed to disrupt almost everything in his life. even if she was wishing Tifa a happy birthday.

He shoved his head under the pillow to muffle the sound, but to no avail. He rose to shout at Yuffie to keep it down, but his arm gave under him when he leant up. He overbalanced and fell to the floor, becoming a swearing mess of blankets in desperate need of a smoke.

Cid threw the covers back on the bed and hopped in the bathroom, wherein he took a scalding hot shower that was immediately succeeded by an ice cold one. The result was a rejuvenated Highwind emerging from the bathroom and walking into the inn's eatery for breakfast with a spring in his step.

Tifa and Yuffie entered just after he had a seat and poured himself a cup of black coffee. Yuffie adorned some godforsaken kimono-like nightie that was adorned with multiple straps and clips and plainly looked like hell to even attempt to wear, let alone sleep in. Tifa, on the other end of the spectrum, wore a simple black tee and a comfy-looking pair of pyjama pants, topped off with fuzzy blue slippers. Her hair was messy, like she just got up (Thanks to the ninja beside her, no doubt.) and din't brush it immediately. Shera would always do that and every time it would bug the hell out of Cid whenever he had to clean out the brown hair clogged in the drain. But Tifa, there was a natural girl, who wasn't afraid to let her natural side show. And god_DAMN_, it looked good!

_Careful, Highwind. You're staring._

"Morning, everyone." Tifa stretched and rubbed her eyes. She planted herself beside Vincent, while directly across from Barret. A little ways off, but still within Cid's eyeshot. Cait Sith dipped his paw into his milk beside Cid while Red sat on the floor.

The breakfast that was served wasn't as good as the previous night's dinner, but it was still good. Then again, Cid as never much of a breakfast person. Anything that contained hamburger meat or pasta suited him just fine if he was working. Of course, Cid merely poked at his scrambled eggs and bagel between sips of coffee and glances at Tifa. Damn, that girl was so jubilant, so animated. So goddamned beautiful...

And before Cid knew it, the plates were cleared away and Vincent retrieved a small package from inside his tattered cloak. "For you." He said, handing the simple brown package to Tifa.

"Oh, thanks, Vincent." Tifa unwrapped it to find a sturdy leather glove, obviously well created with an elaborate finish on the metal knuckle pieces, where materia would be placed.

Vincent merely shrugged. "It's called the Heart of a Dragon. Up until yesterday, I was afraid that wouldn't see much use." He said wryly. "Now I know it will."

"Thank you, Vince." Tifa hugged him. "It's beautiful. I'll try it out as soon as I get home!"

As the morning waned on, Tifa received a _Bartender's Bible_ from Barret, who also gave her the picture to "Auntie Tifa" that was from Marlene. Yuffie supplied her with a new phone, ("Not more materia you can 'borrow' off her?" Cid had remarked.) and Reeve gave her a lovely red evening dress through Cait Sith.

Right after she hugged the small stuffed cat until he squeaked, Yuffie scared the hell out of Cid with a question.

"So what'd YOU get her, Cid?"

_Oh, shit._

"Don't tell me you forgot her present." Yuffie pointed an accusatory finger at the pilot

"Course I didn't," Cid lied, reflexively checked his pockets to cover for himself for a second. "Ah, hell. I left it on board. Don'chya worry, Teef. I'll get it to ya today."

Tifa merely waved her hand and flashed a smile. "No worries, Cid. In fact, none of you had to get me anything. But thank you all, anyway."

_Damn, there's the guilt trip right there. _Cid thought, trying to think of what he could get for Tifa. He'd done this once before with Shera's birthday, and she said the exact same thing. Those words always made Cid feel guilty about screwing up, and caused him to go out and get the person in question a birthday present anyway. Whether they wore glasses and labcoats or mini-skirts and suspenders.

Throughout the day, Cid Highwind's mind whirled about just what the hell to get this girl. She wasn't a conventional girl, that could be etched in the side of the Tiny Bronco. Flowers were too original, he knew that she was allergic to chocolate, and her bar kept her busy enough to deter her from reading a nice solid volume. Lady Luck obviously thought that a certain Captain Highwind owed her a debt, since he was still stuck thinking about just what the hell this girl could possibly want all day.

Even through the production the local theater troupe had done of _LOVELESS_, Cid wasn't able to even fall asleep throughout the two-and-a-half hour long angsty spiel. A gnawing feeling of guilt washed over him that he had let this wonderful girl down, after all she had done for him. And that gave her a bit of leverage that Cid didn't like.

After the play finished, the real fun began, where Cid began to forget his dilemma. In one of the rooms of the inn, a dance began starting up, with full bar service. Tifa laughed, spun and danced and drank until Cid thought she was going to collapse. Then again, the girl WAS a bartender and he knew her to hold her liquor.

After several dances and well into the evening, Cid bade everyone good night before he collapsed from his inebriating drink consumption as Shera would have put it. After one last hug and wish for a good night from Tifa, and two more Happy 24th's, Cid retired to his room to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: A Night of Passion

Irony had never been one of Cid Highwind's strong suits, but even he would be able to appreciate it later on. For that very night, he cursed just how hot Cosmo Canyon could get. He woke up at about 1:45 in the morning and cursed the heat for not letting him sleep.

Feeling the whiskey coursing through his system, Cid stumbled up and groggily stumbled his way to the bathroom. Going through two doors, he reasoned that he had gone into the bathroom and back out. He opened his eyes after giving them a hard rub and found himself back at square one at the bed. And he heard splashing.

_Dammit, Shera! Can't ya ever shut off the water, for Chrissake? It just costs us more money to pay for all the damn water you use..._

Just as Cid opened the bathroom door, he remembered what become of Shera. _Then who the fuck is in here?!_

He shook his head, clearing the haze of weariness and drink, and prepared to punch whoever it was out. His adrenaline turned to surprise as he saw who was in his bathroom. Or, more accurately, in his bathtub.

She was singing contentedly to herself as she washed down her arms. She obviously had just got in and looked up when she heard the door opening. The woman in the tub shrieked at seeing him and pulled the shower curtain forward to conceal her nude body. Cid jumped and shut the door so as not to look at her.

"Tifa!" He yelled. "What the hell are you doing in my room?!"

"What are you talking about?" Tifa countered. "This is MY room!"

Cid blinked and looked about. Goddammit, the girl was right. Unless he was more intoxicated than he thought and bought himself some mini-skirts and bras. Naw, that sounded more like Cloud.

"Ah, shit! I'm sorry, Teef."

"It's OK," Tifa said, sounding more than a little embarrassed. "What're you doing here anyway?"

"Thought this was my room." Cid said. "I needed to go to the john."

"Fine." Tifa said. "Go ahead. I'll keep the curtain here."

"Aw, thanks, Teef." Cid said as he came back in. All he saw of Tifa though was her dim, fuzzy outline behind the curtain, with her arms over her chest.

After finishing his business and washing his hands, he warned the fist fighter that he was just poking his head in for a second. He thanked her for the time, yet couldn't help but notice just how reserved she was.

"C'mon, Teef." He said with a small smile. "What's a pretty girl like you gotta be afraid of?"

"Plenty. Don't look," Tifa blushed and turned her face away. "Makes me feel uncomfortable."

"You?" Cid said, raising his eyebrows. "C'mon, look at ya. Yer gorgeous."

"Yeah, but I'm NAKED..." Tifa's rich blush only increased.

"So?" Cid said, shooting from the hip. "You're still a great lookin' girl. Can't see a reason for ya to be uncomfortable."

"Thanks," She mumbled. "You done?"

"Hell, Teef," Cid said, straightening up. "If it makes you feel better, we'll be even."

With that, possibly thanks to the alcohol in his system and despite Tifa's strangled protest, Cid Highwind's hands went to the buckle on his pants, undoing them and letting them and his boxers fall down around his ankles. Tifa's crimson eyes went wide in record as she stared for a brief half second at what lay between his legs. You'd think she'd never seen a naked man before, given the look of wonder and surprise on her face.

When she finally realized where she staring, she took an arm from her chest and used it to cover his appendage from her point of view as she tried to maintain her shy smile.

"Well, seeing as we're both here, how's the water?" Cid grinned widely, enjoying making fun of the poor girl.

"None of your business, Highwind!" Tifa's eyes went livid again, trying to conceal a small smile. "But for the record, it's just fine."

"Yeah, I've been without a wash for a while now." Cid said, a light in his eyes that Tifa just couldn't put her finger on. "Mind if I join you?"

"Mind if I join you?"

The mere thought was an entirely new concept to her. Cid Highwind, her old friend, (and one of her oldest crushes, though nobody knew that besides her) wanting to join her, _naked_, in the bathtub.

It was almost too good to be true. Tifa concealed a pinch on her breast to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Nope, still conscious. Hell, just what was Cid thinking?

Never mind that, what was _she_ thinking? Although her conscious mind told her to play it safe and to not rush into something she might regret, her mouth had turned traitor and said "Yes" to his invitation.

Cid flashed a grin, that crazy, snarl-like, ruggedly handsome grin of his and clambered into the large bathtub behind her. That simple act gave Tifa that familiar shudder of someone walking over her grave, only it didn't pass within a few milliseconds. It remained, and only got worse as Cid stretched his legs outward to get more comfortable. She sat by the taps, bunched up into a ball of tension and wariness while Cid lay back at the other end. It was a large bathtub, but Cid's feet still managed to come up alongside Tifa's thighs.

_Damn that man, how can he be so relaxed?_

As Tifa began to unwind and continue with washing herself, Cid piped up after a couple of minutes "Pass the soap back when yer done, eh?"

"Sure," Tifa said, her voice barely audible, even to herself. As soon as she was finished washing ehr arms down, she passed the soap back. And not a moment after she had passed it back did she feel rough hands on her back. "W-What are you doing?" She asked, fearful and excited at the same time.

Cid simply shrugged. "Ya missed a spot." He said, matter-of-factly.

Tifa's nerves flared on end for a moment. Just what did Cid Highwind think he was doing, touching her like this. Not that she minded though, she had always dreamed of something like this...

But he had to be drunk or something. This wasn't like Cid, at least not the Cid she knew. But after he lathered her exposed back up and rinsed it off, she actually began to enjoy his hands there, feeling their warmth and callouses, in contrast to her supple and soft flesh.

After the last bit of soap was gone, she found herself unexpectedly saying "Don't stop...please, Cid. Don't stop."

Although her eyes closed with some inexplicable ecstasy, she could see Cid Highwind giving a bemused smirk. She heard him gruffly whisper, "Why?" to which she replied "Your hands feel so good. Don't stop."

So, Cid didn't stop. He proceeded to rub her down, on her shoulders, her back muscles, all the way down to just shy of her rump, and back up again, in a square-like motion. When she let out a quiet moan of pleasure, he apparently decided to switch things up a bit by digging his thumbs into her soft flesh and making small, circular motions all the way down.

Only did Tifa's eyes open again when Cid gently took hold of her shoulders and turned her around to face him. If one would have told her that was the same Captain Cid Highwind she met in rocket Town all those years ago, she would have sworn they were mad. He looked like a changed man, his normally cold, indifferent stare and stony sneer was replaced with a warm look towards her, with his thin lips pursed, as if he was formulating just the right words to say. His sky-blue eyes harbored hat same harrowed, empty look she saw when she saw him yesterday, but there was something more there now. Something a lot stronger.

There was at least one more strong emotion on the playing field. Tifa's chronic shyness, for she turned away and made a move to cover herself. "Don't look," She protested.

"Why the hell not?" Cid said, genuinely puzzled. "It's not like I haven't seen a naked girl before."

A small pang of jealousy resounded in Tifa's stomach. Well, who was she kidding. Cid _was_ only human, and needed companionship. But the larger matter was that she had never had anyone outside of her family see her without any clothes on. And that was years before she hit puberty. No one besides her had seen the fully developed woman who was Tifa Lockheart, until now. Not even Cloud, who always seemed to busy to be worried about her.

"I'm... not disappointing?" Tifa asked, releasing one of her greatest fears into those three words.

"You?" Cid cocked a bemused eyebrow. "Disappointing? Teef, I dunno where ya got that idea, but yer far from it. Hell, yer the best sight I've seen for years. I mean that, and to hell with whatever Cloud either said or didn't say. Now you just relax. I'm not done yet."

He then took Tifa's right hand and began rubbing down her arm, ever so gently. He noticed the small hairs that hadn't been shaved for at least half a day stand up on end. Her lips pursed as her eyes closed, feeling his rough hands caress her soft arm, each alternating in direction on either side that sent the shivers running down her arm, coursing through her spine faster than a hungry Mako reactor could have drained the Lifestream.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of ecstasy, Cid finished her right arm off with a gentle rub of her palm before moving on to the left arm, which he preformed the exact same treatment.

Just as Tifa thought that she would have melted in the tub with satisfaction, Cid preformed one last finishing touch: he brought his hands up to rest his palms on her jawline as he worked his thumbs gently into her temples and drew the down along her cheekbones. He then began to work his way into her hair on the top of her head, gently rubbing the very tip of her skull, causing Tifa to bring her hands up and hold onto his wrists. After he was done up top, he brought his thumbs down to work along her forehead, and then finally down to her earlobes.

Once he'd finished there, Tifa opened her eyes again, a smile she hadn't shown Cid all evening on her lips. "Thank you," She murmured.

"Hell, ya seemed on edge, Teef." Cid shrugged. "Don't like tension, it erodes the soul. Besides, some people tell me I've got a nice touch."

"Oh, you do." Tifa's smile only grew and she noticed that Cid's had as well."I think I'd better get out before I become a prune."

She rose, water dripping off her slick body and stepped onto the bathmat, when Cid immediately followed suit. He took one of the towels off the rack and began to dry Tifa off. She thanked him and returned the favor. Although when he asked her about how she felt about it, she wouldn't reveal that this was one thing she thought about from time to time on long, cold nights; Cid, even without his shirt on, seeing the lean muscle that always resided beneath his flight jacket or shirts. Even just to lay hands on it once would have made her tingly all over. Now, to be here with him, was like a forgotten dream come true.

Tifa dried the small section of her hair that had been dampened, and dressed in a bathrobe, while Cid pulled his undershirt and pants back on. Since neither of them were tired, they sat on Tifa's bed and began to talk.

After talk of what Cid had been up to, the clientele of Seventh Heaven, Tifa finally posed a question.

"Truth or Dare."

Cid raised an eyebrow and looked at the clock. It was already two thirty. Hell, it was a Saturday. "Truth."

"Have you ever missed me?" Tifa asked, a slight blush creeping up her neck.

Cid nodded. He said "Yeah, quite a bit." but she had a feeling there was more to it than that. But before she could ask more on the subject, he asked her the reciprocating question, to which she said "Truth."

Cid bit his lip before asking, but finally managed "Do you ever miss him?"

Tifa's face fell. She didn't particularly like talking about Cloud, especially after she had spent so long trying to get on with her life and wait for him to come back, which both seemed like matter and antimatter respectively. But, she chose truth so she whispered "Yes. Sometimes, I really miss him being able to tell me it's all right. But..."

"Yeah, Cid said, realizing he had strayed into unfriendly waters. _Cut it short._ "I getchya."

Tifa nodded, her gaze looking at Cid's feet, not his face. Cid mentally kicked himself for bringing it up, but was caught off guard by Tifa's next question to which he answered truth.

"What happened between you and Shera?"

Well, he couldn't have said he didn't see this coming. Cid bit his lip and swallowed his pride.

"She left." Short, simple, to the point. Shoulda been enough.

But, as the case was with women, it wasn't. There had to be how, when, why? How was simple. When was about a moth or so ago. Seemed like a lifetime. Why, well that was a tough one. No, not tough. It's just that a man like Cid Highwind had a hard time admitting that he was wrong.

Tifa, bless her soul had decided that this was indeed a sensitive topic for him and chose not to pursue it any further than a tight hug.

Her hair smelled faintly of her tangerine scented shampoo and he could still feel the heat of the bath coming off her. And to balance these girly things out, she still had a firm, tomboyish grip.

Although Cid knew he was starting to get in just a little too deep, he found himself asking the reciprocating question. To which Tifa answered "Truth."

_Girl likes playing it safe, I guess._ Cid thought as he racked his tired brain for a suitable question. "What's it like bein' just by yer lonesome?"

Tifa's eyebrow rose. "Well, I - I guess I'd never really thought about it." She said. "I guess it's all right. I mean, I only have to worry about myself, and the kids from time to time. But, it's okay."

"Doesn't get lonely at times?" Cid furrowed his brow.

Tifa bowed her head slightly. "Sometimes." She said, quietly. "But, the good outweighs the bad. Truth or dare."

Tired as he was with all these unspoken truths, Cid decided to change things up a bit. "Dare."

Tifa's red eyes bore into Cids, and she unblinkingly said to him "Kiss me. Kiss me like you used to kiss Shera."

_The hell? _Cid thought. What was this girl up to? Had she lost her sense of reality?

The devil on Cids' other shoulder nagged at him _Go for it! You'll never get another chance._

Cid Highwind was never much of a saint. He took the front of Tifa's bathrobe in his fists and brought his lips gently to hers.

A lot of Shera's mushy love stories had bullshit in them like "Her lips tasted of chocolate" or "Her tongue was the flavor of strawberries". Cid found Tifa's lips tasted of flesh. As well as a hint of fruity liquor and toothpaste. But just being able to have a girl, _this_ girl kissing him, had all those other kisses he'd experienced left behind.

After a few seconds, Tifa put her arms around Cid's neck. He moved his hands up to along her jawline, holding her head in his hands. They angled slightly, deepening their kiss. Her lips parted, allowing Cid's tongue to slip in just a bit to taste hers. Tifa emitted a slight moan as she leaned back onto the bed, having Cid Highwind atop her.

When they broke apart, Cid decided to continue with what had transpired, knowing the answer to both his queries. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Tifa whispered, longing written all over her face.

Cid grinned that snarl-like grin of his and put his hands back on Tifa's robe. "Let's get rid of this."

Kissing turned into lovemaking faster than one could blink an eye. Slowly, then playfully and then passionately, the two writhed in between the sheets for the better part of an hour.

"Cid?" Tifa whispered a little while later as she snuggled up next to him.

"Hn?" He replied in between a puff of his cigarette.

"What's this we have here?" She asked, her crimson eyes glancing up at him through the dim light. "Between us?"

"I dunno, Teef." Cid said. He then shot another grin. "But I like it." He kissed Tifa on her forehead and put an arm round her. "Go to sleep."

"Night, Cid." Tifa said as she snuggled onto his chest.

Cid simply put out his smoke and closed his eyes, more content than he'd been in a long time.


	6. Chapter 6: Mission to Mideel

The passings of last night seemed like an excerpt from someone else's life. Definitely not something a normal person would experience, not something that gentle, that tender, that _real..._

Cid highwind awoke that morning thnking that same thought, expecting him to be back in his bed. The painf of his lost gil would be there to haunt him and curse the day.

As it turned out, he was leaning one his left side, facing the front door. He found he had almost no room on the bed. When he turned over, he saw the naked, sleeping outline of Tifa Lockheart. She looked like an angel, her raven black hair spread over the pillows as she had her eyes closed, certainly dreaming of pleasant things.

Cid pinched his bicep to make sure he wasn't still asleep and seeing only what he wished to see. Nope, definitely awake.

rtin' any

He smiled and pulled himself out of bed ot greet the new day. Sitting on the side of the bed, he began to put the clothes he had cast off with his old fears and inhibitions last night back on. A tender, warm hand on his shoulder made him jump a little bit.

"Don't go," The groggy, light voice was almost pleading. "Stay... don't leave me alone."

Cid clapsed the had in question, stopped what he was doing and slipped back under the covers. He put an arm around his girl and held her close to him.

"Cid?" Tifa asked, slowly opening her eyes. "What's ths going to do to us?"

Cid shrugged. "I dunno." He asnwered honestly. "Personally though, I don't see a problem. We both don't got anybody else. We're not hurtin' anyone. So what's the problem?"

Tifa shifted so that she rested her head on his chest, looking the pilot right in the eye. "What's everyone else going to say?"

Cid gave that same shrug. "If they can't be happy and respect what we have here, whatever it leads to, then I guess we couldn't really consider them true friends."

Tifa gave a strong smile. "A philospher as well?"

"Yup." Cid grinned right back ."Anything more'll cost ya."

"How's this for payment?" Tifa leaned up and kissed him on the lips. Cid's hands clased the back of her head, drawing her close.

It was in that moment that Cid's eyes shot open and he cursed. "What's wrong?" Tifa asked.

"I fuckin' went and forgot to give ya a birthday present." Cid looked away, abashed.

Tifa took his scruffy chin with her finger and kissed him again. "Cid, this is the best present you could have given me."

"What, a fuck?" Cid cocked an eyebrow, only to recieve a slap across the face. Gentle, but with meaning behind it. _Can't say I didn't deserve it._

"No, not that." Tifa said. "That part was nice, but letting me know how you feel for me, knowing that I don't have to wait for a ship that's not going to come in. you actually gave me a future, Cid. A future I like and would want. And with a person I want to be with."

"Bah," Cid dismissed her words. "I'm just a normal everyday guy who happens to fly cool airships and drink tea. Not much there to be redeeming."

"Well, I see it." Tifa said. "And you missed the part about you fighting with a broom."

"A; that was ONE TIME!" Cid remarked, feinging offence. "And B; it was a MOP."

"Oh, all right. You win." Tifa shrugged.

"Now _that's_ what like ta hear." Cid grinned and kissed Tifa once more.

---

Coming down to breakfast was not as awkward as they thought. Then again, nobody saw them holding hands under the table. Though tempted, they decided against feeding each other morsels of each others' servings.

Halfway through the meal however, Cait Sith excused himself for a moment. His PHS had begun to sound and he didn't want to be disrespectful by answering it at the table. He returned later on with a worried expression and announced to everyone.

"Everybody, I have to go now." He said. "There's a situation down at headquarters and they need me."

"What's up?" Yuffie asked.

"We're purgin' the Lifestream of Jenova particles at Mideel." Cait Sith explained. "We're evicting her and keepin' her locked up tight. I gotta get to Mideel. Can I get a lift, Cid?"

"Yeah, sure." Cid shrugged. "Lemme eat first."

As it would turn out, the entire party had tagged along to see the Lifestream purged. As the _Highwind _streaked towards Mideel in the early afternoon sun, Cid's thoughts trailed to Tifa, who sat just ahead of him, looking down at the scenery.

_Just like old times_. He thought as Barret motioned for Tifa to follow him to the rear operations room.

---

Tifa had unknowingly put a small spring in her step as she walked into the operations room, where Barret had his arms folded. From experience, Tifa knew that meant he had something on his mind. And Tifa was usually the one to help him smooth out the wrinkles.

"What's up, Barret?" Tifa cocked her head to the side.

"Well," Barret spoke slowly, deliberately. It must have been a big thing for him to say this, whatever it was. "Y'know ya were sleepin' next to Cid's room back in Cosmo Canyon."

"Yeah," Tifa said, furrowing her brow. "Why?"

"Well," Barret shuffled uncomfortably, and not because of physical irritations. "He wasn't in his bed this mornin'. When I took a peek in ta see if ya were OK, I saw him with you."

Tifa's instant blush came up brighter than Red's fur. He hands covered her mouth, but didn't say a word. Her eyes went livid and fearful.

"I'm just wantin' ta know, Tif," Barret said. "Is sumpin' goin' on 'tween ya two?"

It took a bit of time for Tifa to answer. "We're just trying it out, but yeah." Her nervous eyes came up to meet his. "There's... something."

"Y'know, Tif, him an' Shera--" Barret began, but was promptly cut off by Tifa. "I know." She said. "He told me."

"OK," Barret held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm just wonderin'. Just don't want ya to get hurt again, Tifa. 'Specially after Chocobo-head..."

"Yeah," Tifa said. "Don't worry, Barret. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. Besides, Cid treats me a hell of a lot better than Cloud did."

"Awright." Barret said. "Jus' remember, ol' drinkin' buddy or not, he breaks yer heart, I break his legs."

"Barret!" Tifa gritted her teeth. "You'll do no such thing or you're cut off for a year!"

"Aw, fine." Barret huffed. "Have it yo way."

Tifa let a smile come up her face and gave Barret a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Barret, it's OK. You've always been my big brother, looking out for me. I love you for it, but I know what I'm doing."

---

Thanks to some quick-witted mechanic who had been around him long enough, Cid Highwind took the kettel he had on a nearby hot plate off and began steeping some Earl Grey tea. The temperature had just reached the comfort point for him to taste when Vincent Valentine came skulking around the corner.

"Vincent," Cid nodded. "What on yer mind?"

"Quite a bit, really." Vincent replied. "Such as just what transpired between you and Tifa last night."

Cid's tea was tranported from his mouth to all over the deck in front of him. He looked at his old comrade with a look of incredulous wonder upon his weathered face. "What the hell? How-- why d'ya..."

"Curiosity perhaps." Vincent shrugged. "And to satisfy the fact that I was in the room next door.

_Damn and double damn._

"Well, ya see," Cid scratched the back of his neck. He felt much like the father explaining to the son "See boy, when Mom and Dad love each other a lot...". "we're uh... Well I can't speak for her, but we're just givin' somethin' a shot. It's what I'm gettin' from her, anyway."

"Well, congradulations." Vincent replied. "Next time, keep it down. I'm a light sleeper as it is."

And with that, Vincent Valentine stalked off the bridge, leaving Cid Highwind embarrassed as he could never remember. His consolations were that they had almost reached Mideel, where both could regroup and discuss the situation. Tifa had been right, this was a tender situation the required careful planning.

Second, he had a whole other kettle of tea ready to go. He had a feeling he was going to need it


	7. Chapter 7: The WRO

The _Highwind_ sailed over the southern sea, the island of Mideel straight ahead. Cid Highwind's hands gripped the wheel tightly, not fondly recalling the last time he paid a visit to this place. WEAPON attacking, the Lifestream coming up from underneath the planet's crust, Tifa, falling with Cloud into the Lifestream.

Damn, I thought I lost her forever there.

Cid managed to get his ship up and over the last swell in the wind, before setting her down gently onto the brush outside of Mideel.

Already, the site looked different from when he had last seen it. The trees around the former town site had been cut down, making room for all the equipment, bustling with WRO personnel, some manning computer terminals, some shouting orders to clear room for several containers.

And in the midst of all of it, Reeve Tuesti stood in his dashing blue suit, looking over the operation he had dug in here. A sore thumb would have fit in better than he did.

Almost as a life preserver or hope, he spotted the Highwind touching down and set off at a mild jog towards it to greet the old friends disembarking.

Shaking hands with Barret and Vincent, Reeve gave Tifa a hug and small kiss on the cheek, which was reciprocated. Cid grinned to himself, not thinking much of it. This small sign of affection was nothing compared to last nights excursions.

Cait Sith scrambled up Reeve's sleeve to sit on his shoulder. Reeve welcomed the rest of the party, a tired smile on his face.

"Well Reeve, I don't get it." Yuffie said, waving her arms about ceremoniously. "What's going on?"

Reeve allowed himself a small chuckle. Some things never changed. "Given the problems of late, we're purging the Lifestream of all the malevolent contaminants."

"What kind of malevolent contaminants?" Tifa asked, remembering all too well the incident with Deepground and Omega.

"Impurities like waste that has seeped in, garbage carelessly thrown down." Reeve gave a brief pause. "Jenova particles, the like."

"Jenova particles?" Vincent said. "I don't know much about science, Reeve, but I know enough that if you start playing around with Jenova cells, you're asking for trouble." Being there when division S of the Jenova project was carried out made him uneasy at best if the WRO was starting to think about doing something with Jenova cells.

"Oh, the last thing we want is another Sephiroth running around." Reeve said. "So, to take steps to prevent just that, we're collecting all of those particles belonging to her and containing them under heavy guard."

"In the event that there is another reoccurrence, we can prevent any trickery and collateral damage caused by her." Cait Sith pointed out.

This was met by murmurs of approval and Red stepped forward. "How soon until the Lifestream is purged?"

"At least another day or so." Reeve said. "We're still moving equipment and personnel in to assist. Until then, I'd appreciate any help you could provide - -"

"Commissioner," One of the men at the communications tables called.

"Excuse me." Reeve said, attending to the man in question. His expression changed from excited to worrisome in an instant.

Barret was the first one to notice this, and asked what was up.

Reeve let out a heavy sigh. "It seems that one of our transports has suffered a technical malfunction and crashed near Fort Condor." He said. "everyone's all right, but the airship is completely gone."

Cid's ears perked up at the word "airship". "_Highwind's_ still ready to fly," He volunteered. "And she's got more than enough cargo room for the crew and equipment. I can go get yer men and get 'em here in no time."

"Cid Highwind, yeh're a good man!" Cait Sith said, rubbing his little face against Cid's pant leg.

"All right, all right!" Cid shook his leg. "Dun get all mushy on me now."

"I'll tag along." Tifa announced quickly. "You might need some help with that ship of yours."

Cid noticed the playful lopsided grin on her face and nodded. "Right. We'll be back in a few hours. Don't have too much fun." He waved off to the rest of his old friends, knowing the sly grins on all of their faces, as well as Reeve's confused expression.

"What's this now?" Reeve asked. "Seems like an odd combination, those two."

"Yeah," Yuffie said, grinning at the departing airship. "Tell me about it."

Vincent simply rolled his eyes, remembering why exactly he was so fatigued.

"Commissioner!" One of the WRO personnel shouted. The source was a small

"What is it?" Reeve demanded, rushing over.

"Sir, you're not going to believe this!" The woman said, showing Reeve what was on her screen.

"I- I don't believe it…" He whispered. "That's impossible…"

Vincent appeared at Reeve's shoulder, leaning over the shorter man's shoulder to have a closer look.

"I don't know how," Reeve said slowly. "But if our readings are correct, there is actually living matter inside the Lifestream! Analysis, Ms. Mallory?"

"Mallory?" Vincent asked. All of a sudden those glasses and the lab coat seemed all too familiar. "Shera?"

The woman in the lab coat looked up, her face betraying mild surprise. "Vincent Valentine! My goodness, you're all here."

"You work for the WRO now, Shera?" Yuffie asked.

Shera nodded, and her hands subconsciously went to one of her fingers as she spoke. "I-is the Captain here?"

"You just missed 'im." Barret said. "He'll be back though. Jes went ta get the guys who crashed out on the mainland."

"Oh," Shera said, turning away. She had a discreet feeling that this was about to get a little untidy.

Brian, she thought. I'm sorry, I'll try to talk to him…

"Analysis, Ms. Mallory." Reeve repeated, a bit of force behind his force.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry." Shera stammered, feeling nostalgic and scared. Funny how mention of the Captain could bring up bad habits like that. Next thing you know, she'd start making tea for the entire campsite.

"I'm at a loss, Mr. Tuesti." Shera said after examining the readout. "I've checked and cross-checked every bit of the Shinra and WRO database. There's no record of anything like this ever happening."

"Speculation?" Reeve asked.

"Only one lead, sir." Shera shrugged. "It's pretty vague."

"Anything you've got, Shera." Reeve said. "Anything will do."

"Well, I wouldn't know form first hand experience, but this almost sound like when Sephiroth described himself as a 'Traveller of the Lifestream'. According to the reports made by all of you when fighting Meteor, this almost sounds like a life form is actually existing inside the Lifestream."

"A life form?" Vincent asked, astounded. Only a bit of information so grand in scale could get such a reaction out of him.

"Where does it leave the Lifestream?" Reeve asked. "When Sephiroth entered the Lifestream eight years ago, he rode it to wind up in the Northern Crater."

"Again, I don't know." Shera said. "I'm not even sure if whatever we're reading even does leave the Lifestream. Ordinarily, the Lifestream is simple energy. Exposure to too much of it at a time can lead to Mako poisoning. But as you can see, we're getting readings of actual life down there. I don't know what to make of it."

"is it possible that it has suffered Mako poisoning and unable to move?" Red asked, bending down to allow Cait Sith onto his preferred resting place.

"No, that much I'm sure of." Shera said. "If it were simply limp in the Lifestream, it would have washed up. But this is holding position, as if by conscious effort."

"How strong is the reading?" Reeve asked.

"It's over a considerable distance, but still pretty strong." Shera said. "It's almost as if someone's down there, in the Lifestream."

"Any ideas who's down there?" Barret asked.

"Well, judging from past experiences," Shera said. "Jenova cells have a bad habit of not diffusing in the Lifestream."

"You mean that…" Reeve said.

"Whoever's down there has been infused with Jenova cells." Shera said.

Reeve gasped "Sephiroth?"

"No." Shera said. "Sephiroth's energy signature was far greater. If it were him, the reading would have been off the scale. This is more like a normal member of SOLDIER."

"Aw, hell," Barret cursed. He along with everyone else knew just who it was who was down there. The same person who walked away from this life for someone else.

Cloud.

AN: That's it for this chapter. Steel yourself for some smut and drama next chapter. ;)


	8. Chapter 8: Flying High

_AN: Well, I warned you all. Here it is. The smut I promised, in a long chapter as well. If you think this is pushing the envelope, I've published a, shall we say an X-Rated version of both this chapter and Chapter 5 on adultfanfiction dot net. Hope you enjoy them as much as you have these chapters._

_And special thanks to __**tifaa**__'s spectacular and recently completed fic What Could Have Been, which served as inspiration as well as support for me writing this fic._

It had started out simple enough. A search and rescue mission, nothing further.

And yet, Cid Highwind was aggravated. There was no particular cause for it, he had a thermos full of tea, he was in the air, and it was early in the afternoon, the time of day where he felt the best.

Perhaps it was the emptiness of the _Highwind._ Only he and Tifa were aboard, as she volunteered to accompany him. The downed crew would make up the rest of the ship's company, as well as carrying their equipment back to Mideel.

Wrapping the flight jacket around his waist and discarding his scarf, he allowed himself a smoke, his second in half an hour. That was some kind of record for him. Not even the heaviest junkie would need another in that short of a time span.

The door behind him opened, revealing the only other crew member. Her hair was mussed and wavy, having just come out of the shower, trying to cure her jet lag. Instead of the usual leather getup she wore these days, she wore something much simpler, more akin to what she would have worn four years ago when Cid first met her.

"You OK, Cid?" Tifa asked, noticing his lit cigarette. He had just finished his other one when she left for that shower.

"It's nothin'." Cid said. "Jet lag gone?"

"Mm-hmm." Tifa said, leaning up against the console next to Cid. The white shirt she wore only accentuated her already large breasts, causing passers by to sometimes stare and single men to take second and third glances. Cid himself knew he was a man for such pleasures, and Tifa fit the bill quite nicely.

_Oh, shit!_ He thought. _I'm horny, that's what it is!_

Perfect timing, just perfect timing. The day was just starting, and Cid would be busy. It was gonna be a long next twelve hours. At least.

Not to mention what had transpired last night in Cosmo Canyon between them. Whatever it had been, it was good, but not enough. He might not be getting any younger, but Cid still had some left in him.

"Cid?" Tifa's gentle question interrupted his train of thought.

"Hn?" He responded. "What's on yer mind, Teef?"

"Are we… I mean…" Tifa looked away, trying to figure out just what she could say.

"Tifa, let's get one thing clear." Cid said, looking her right in the eye. "If you ever need to tell me something, you just come right out and tell me, all right? Don't bother sugar coating it, I hate that. Just shoot from the hip and give it to me straight between the eyes. OK?"

"OK." Tifa said. "It's just that… you look really good flying the ship."

Cid blinked. "That's what was up?"

Tifa shrugged. "Yeah. Just kind of occurred to me now."

Cid took one hand off the old fashioned wooden wheel and took Tifa's had. "Well If I look so good flying, let's see how good you look."

Tifa's eyes went wide. "What?! No, Cid, I can't-"

"It's not hard." Cid said, pulling Tifa closer in. "Besides, I'll be right here." He guided her hands onto the helm, showing her just how to hold it.

"There." He said. "Now just relax, let your hands guide her."

"Oh," Tifa said, her expression not unlike a nervous schoolgirl on a first date. A mix of genuine fear and excitement. "I - I'm doing it…"

"An' doing fine." Cid said, not releasing his hands from hers. She was fit snugly in between him and the helm, her backside pressed against him.

"Cid, you're so nice to me." Tifa said, looking over her shoulder get a better look at him. "You really are."

"Hell, ya deserve it, Tifa." Cid said.

"I…" Tifa said, softly. So softly, Cid could barely hear her. "I think I'm starting to fall for you, Cid."

Cid let out a sigh. He wanted nothing more than to rashly declare that he loved her too and that he'd do anything for her. But that would only be half true, and Cid Highwind was a man of his word. Someone had to be the responsible adult and draw the line before both of them got hurt.

And as far as Cid was concerned, neither of them needed another person leaving their respective lives.

"Tifa, I really want to say that I love you," Cid said, heavily. "But I just don't know what we have here. Sure, I love bein' with ya, and I love the time we spend together, even if it's just friendly. But I'm not going to say I love you just yet. The most we've done is just have one night of passion; I don't know if I love you myself, even though I'm pretty sure of it.

"What I will say, however, is that I'll do absolutely anything for you, Tifa. You name it. You want the stars, they're yours."

Tifa smiled, nuzzling her head into the nook of Cid's left arm. "Thank you, Cid." She whispered. "That means a lot to me."

"It's from the heart, Tifa." Cid said. "I'm an honest man, you know that."

Tifa nodded. "And maybe I was a bit rash as well. As much as I do care about you, I…still need a bit of time to be completely over Cloud."

Cid snorted. "I figured as much." he said. "I'll be there for you. Count on that."

"I hoped you'd say that." Tifa smiled, leaning back into his arms, her eyes closed contentedly.

'Well, I'm also gonna say that ya look even better than I do flying this bucket." Cid said, planting his hands on hips matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah?" Tifa grinned. "How so?"

"Well, ya make anything look good, Tifa." Cid said, grinning madly despite himself. "Hell, I- never mind."

"No say it." Tifa goaded. "I dare you."

Cid smiled, that crazy snarl of a smile he had that made Tifa's skin tingle. "Ya look damn sexy with that wheel." He whispered in her ear.

Tifa shivered with delight, and purposefully leaned back against the pilot. Cid let out a low groan and said huskily "You dun wanna do that, Tif."

"Why ever not?" Tifa asked, innocently, the grin on her face mischievous.

"I'm not exactly good at exercising self restraint at the moment, if yanno what I mean." Cid said, shaking his head to try and clear it. Why did this girl have to be so damn sexy??

"No, I don't." Tifa said, teasing him so. "You're just gonna have to tell me."

Cid put a hand on Tifa's shoulder, his skin searing as it came into contact with hers. "You don't know how hard I'm tryin' to not grab you and go for round two of what we started last night," he whispered. "You don't know how much I'd like to have you right now."

With a small smirk, Tifa looked Cid straight in the eye. "Well then, who'll fly the ship?"

"Who says we gotta stop flying the ship?" Cid asked, his rough hands caressing her chin. With his other hand, he hit the auto pilot switch letting the ship follow its course without any change in engine efficiency.

Tifa let out a low chuckle and still holding onto the helm with her left hand, she took Cid's right hand in hers and slipped it down her skirt. In the same motion, she pressed harder up against him, her backside rubbing up against his groin.

Cid let out a deep breath. Touching her gently, their clothes peeled off onto the deck. Cid hoisted her up, leaning her against the old wooden steering column and wheel assembly, and had her, right there.

Unlike last night, which was full of curiosity and exploration and curiosity, their sex was wilder, more passionate, more needy. Tifa screamed for Cid, digging her nails into his back. At one point, she actually hung off of him, supported only by the helm at her back and Cid's hands, still clad in those monstrous eagle handlers he wore.

They say time flies when your having fun. This was a ideal case of that saying, because although in real-time, Cid and Tifa had been having sex for about an hour, Cid barely even clocked the time going by. This left them with about forty-five minutes left of the journey.

After both of them had been satisfied with each other, Cid bent his head down onto Tifa's chest, catching his breath. She rested her head on top of his, holding him close. Cid let out a loud breath and adjusted his goggles to wipe the sweat off his brow.

Tifa was sweating bullets, and looked as if she were about to collapse. Cid grinned, having a purely masculine thought that he was the one who made her so winded. Leaving the autopilot on, Cid picked her up and carried her over to one of the vacated seats with what he could find of her discarded clothes.

Tifa kissed him once, passionately before he set her down. "Thank you." She whispered.

"No, thank _you,_ Tif." Cid grinned. "You just catch yer breath there."

"What are you doing?" Tifa asked, pulling her bra slowly back on.

Cid looked at her, over his shoulder as he pulled his pants back on. "I got a ship ta run," He grinned widely.

Tifa smiled and continued to dress herself, more contented than she could ever remember. Who could blame her, this man was so damn _sexy!_ Just seeing him with only his goggles, gloves and dog tags on sent a tingle throughout her being.

And not only was he so unreasonably handsome, but he was, surprisingly, a complete gentleman to her. Four years ago when she met him in Rocket Town, hearing him browbeat Shera, she never imagined there would anything like this between them.

Then again, she never really counted on Aerith Gainsborough, did she?

And hell, school girlish and immature or not, she was starting to love Cid Highwind more and more. And through all the small gestures and niceties he went out of his way to do for her, she started to believe that he was starting to love her.

--

The trip back was considerably less fun than the trip there. Mainly for the fact that there was an actual crew aboard and a full supply of containment modules. Still, the majority of the ship's crew confined themselves to their quarters, the engine room or the cargo bays, looking over the equipment.

This left the bridge vacant for Cid and Tifa again. This time however, Tifa got them both out a couple of the reheated field rations Cid kept aboard. They ate alone on the bridge, talking of whatever crossed their minds.

"Cid?" Tifa finally asked after a small gulp of water.

"Hn?" He replied.

"When did you," Tifa said, shyly. "You know, start feeling for me?"

"You remember that night we spent on the Great Glacier?" Cid said. "When we bunked together?"

"Just after Aerith died?" Tifa asked. Cid nodded.

"It was a real hot night, as I remember." Cid said, lighting a post dinner smoke. "You'd taken off yer clothes and you just had a little bit of skin showing."

"How little?" Tifa asked, suddenly very quiet and reserved.

"Well, yer back was showing as well a little bit of what yer sittin' on." Cid said. "You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."

"Oh, come on." Tifa said. "I'm not the prettiest thing out there."

"Tifa, what the hell's wrong?" Cid said. "Yer gorgeous, an' don't try lookin' away on me like that. I mean it. What is it?"

Tifa hesitated and then said. "Have you seen what's on my side?"

Cid looked at her quizzically. "Seen what?"

Without warning, Tifa took off her left suspender strap and pulled the side of her shirt.

Along the side of her stomach was a long thin scar, reaching from her hip almost to her armpit.

It looked as if it had faded with time and numerous skin treatments like aloe vera, but Cid could tell whatever did this must have hurt like hell.

"What…" Cid began.

"Happened?" Tifa asked. "This happened almost nine years ago. In the Nibelheim Mako reactor. I tried to, avenge Papa, but…" She trailed off, looking away.

"Sephiroth." Cid said, softly. "Bastard."

He left the _Highwind _on autopilot and walked over. When Tifa recoiled unintentionally at his presence, Cid held her in place. Bending over, he kissed the scar along her side as if to take away all the pain it caused her for all the time she had it.

"Yer still beautiful, Tif." Cid said. "Nothing small like this is ever gonna stop you from being that."

While he was over, he pulled Tifa's shirt down and replaced the suspender over her shoulder. Cid kissed her once more and retook the wheel.

"You mean that, Cid?" Tifa asked. "You really think I'm beautiful?"

"Course I do." Cid said. "Now that's all I'm gonna say about it. You're goddamn beautiful and that's the end of it." When Tifa opened her mouth to speak, Cid cut her off. "No buts. My ship, my rules. That's an order."

"Yes, sir." Tifa said, that playful smile coming back to her face.

--

The _Highwind_ put down near Mideel while the sun still hung high in the sky. The equipment was offloaded with haste, Reeve thanking Cid profusely.

Casting a sidelong glance at Tifa, who went off with Cait Sith to find some of the local variety of catnip, Cid knew he'd already been compensated.

"Dun sweat it Reeve, it's not big deal." Cid said, moving towards the kitchen tent. "Now, I'm gonna grab a drink. I'm parched."

Reeve suddenly spluttered. "Uhh, Cid, hold on a second."

"It can wait." Cid said. "Ya got any tea in here?"

Indeed, there was a pot on, which Cid promptly raided. However, behind him he heard a voice he hadn't heard in ages.

"H-Hello, Cid." The timid voice said to him.

The tea lay forgotten on the counter as Cid turned about, to see her. The lab coat just as white, the glasses just as round, her expression just as shy as he remembered her.

"Shera," Cid breathed.


	9. Chapter 9: Reunion in Mideel

"I-It's been a while. Cid." Shera stammered, a shy smile on her face.

"Yeah," Cid said slowly, shoved into his pockets_. Dammit, Shera, why now? Just after I'd found someone, just when I got over you, just when I was happy. WHY NOW??_ He said "What happened to the Golden Saucer?"

Shera shrugged. "Thought that five years of university would be better spent working the WRO rather than trapped behind a bar wearing a Chocobo suit." She said. This roused a warm chuckle from Cid, as he lit a cigarette. "It's - it's good to see you again, Cid."

"Yeah, likewise." Cid said, trying to avoid the undeniable hurt that threatened to blossom out.

After a brief, awkward silence, Shera finally mustered up her courage. "Cid, can we," She said softly. "Can we take a walk?"

"Sure." Cid shrugged, hand coming out of their hideaways to sway by his sides as he walked.

Shera led the way out of the kitchen tent, out into the brush of Mideel. Cid caught sight of Tifa, playing with Cait Sith. The cat rolled around, scratching an itch on his back. Tifa looked up, a smile on her face.

When she caught sight of Shera though, her face turned to one of horror and betrayal. Cid shook his head violently as if to say _Tifa, it's not what you think. Please love, don' be mad. It's not what you think._

"Well," Shera began, her voice betraying just how awkward she felt. "How have you been, Cid?"

"Well, not bad." Cid said. "Considering." After some deliberation, Cid decided to say what he actually felt. "I missed ya, Shera."

Shera nodded, not even looking Cid in the eye. "I've missed you too." She said. "Listen, there's something I need to…"

"Shera," Cid said. "I'm gonna be perfectly honest with ya. I can't take you back just like that."

Shera blinked. "What? No, Cid. I'm not asking you to take me back."

Cid shot her a quizzical look. "Then what --"

"Cid, I'm engaged."

Only then did Cid notice the particular hand Shera was hiding. When she noticed his perception, she took her hand away, revealing the diamond ring that resided on her third finger.

"Shera…" Cid said, thunderstruck. "I- I dunno what to say. Congrats."

Shera smiled. "Thank you, Cid. You're not going to -"

"The only thing I'm gonna do is be at that wedding to cheer ya on." Cid said, visibly relieved. "And if he treats you even remotely like I did, I'll break his legs."

Shera smiled, wide and beautifully. "Thank you, Cid." she hugged him tight and wiped a tear from her eye. "How about you? How have you been holding up?"

"Well, actually, I've been keeping OK." Cid said.

"You don't happen to have a lady friend, do you?" Shera asked.

Cid chuckled. "Funny you should say that." When Shera cocked her head the way he knew showed her curiosity, he knew there was no stopping her from finding out what she wanted. "You remember my old friend Tifa Lockheart?"

Now it was Shera's turn to blink. "You and Tifa? Since when?"

"Couple days ago, now that I really think about it." Cid said. "I still dunno just what we've got, but, we're both happy, whatever it is we got ourselves into."

"Well, I'm glad for you Cid." Shera said, just before her watch beeped. "Oh, I'm on duty in fifteen minutes. I guess we best head back."

Cid nodded. "Sure."

The trip back to camp took a lot shorter than Cid thought. Then again, it wasn't too far into the bush they went. After scraping the local tick off the hem of his pants, Cid was suddenly face to face with a far more dangerous being.

Tifa stood in front of him, hands on her hips, murder written all over her face.

"Cid Highwind, who the hell do you think you are?" She demanded.

"Oh, hell, Tifa." Cid said, rubbing his eyes. "It's not what you think. Honest."

"Oh yeah?" Tifa snarled, her eyes starting to brim. "I show you my deepest insecurities and feelings, and this is what I get? You getting my innocence and then running back to Shera and going about bragging how you got me in bed with you? You're no different than Cloud!"

"Tifa, that's enough!" Cid barked, loud enough that Tifa visibly recoiled. Cursing himself for making her jump, he continued softly "Shera wanted to talk about how we both were holdin' up, that's all. It was a long relationship and we both wanted to know the other was doin' OK. I guess we both wanted to be sure we were over each other. Nothing happened between us in the short time we were away."

Tifa's voice broke with her next sentence. A silver tear came down her cheek. "How can I be sure of that, Cid?"

"She's engaged, Tif." Cid said. "To someone else, not me. And I'm a man of honor, I'd never ask her to cheat on her fiancée, and I would never, _ever_ cheat on you."

With that, Cid took Tifa in his arms and held her close. "I love ya too much to do that, Tif."

"Cid…" Tifa whispered. "You said that you--"

"I know what I said," Cid said. "An' I meant it. Now don't you worry. After we're done here in Mideel, we're goin' back to Edge and figurin' out just what it is we have here. All right?"

Tifa nodded, that smile he loved so much coming back onto her face. She rubbed her eyes and said to him. "You mean that, Cid? I mean, you wouldn't--"

"Never." Cid interrupted her. "That's what sets Cloud and I apart; I finish what I start. Now c'mon, let's get back to camp."

Tifa nodded, but not before wrapping her arms around Cid's shoulders and kissing him softly. Cid responded by holding her close, and prolonging it as much as he could.

As they made their way back into camp, Cid retrieved another cigarette from their perch on his goggles and lit it. Tifa simply shook her head, remarking on how some things never change.

However, the excitement picked up, when during the crimson sunset, did the seismic reading pick up.

The WRO squads rushed to their stations, their filtering devices at the ready.

For not ten minutes later, the sickly-green flow of the Lifestream erupted out of the earth. Even cid was able to marvel at its beauty. The last time it had done this, the Lifestream was almost lifted off the planet itself by Omega. And when Vincent had saved the day, it filtered back down onto the planet in a lovely green snow.

Now, to see its mighty currents flow, all of the eddies and streams of life, each strand an individual consciousness, from the Ancients of old, to the recent deaths of various causes. It was awe-inspiring, seeing the pure essence of life, in this river. Never slowing, always shifting, just like existence itself.

Cid cast a glance at Tifa, who squeezed his hand, a physical reminder of just how much life changed.

"Commissioner!" Shera called "That life form reading is approaching the surface."

"Lower the filters." Reeve said. "We don't want the life form killed. Re-establish filtering process after it has cleared the range of our filters."

Shera gave her affirm Tory answer and several readouts went dark.

Everyone watched in anticipation. What sort of life form could survive in this stream, let alone retain full consciousness? Whatever it was, it was surely a feat beyond science, a fantastic new realm of research.

As the Lifestream rocketed out of the earth, the life form made itself clear. A navy blue hue, intermixed with some black and yellow, surrounded by a blur of soft pink and brown.

As it reached altitude as the Lifestream thinned, it became clearer. As it was, it wasn't just one shape but two. Both human looking, their features becoming clearer with each second.

They floated lazily along, holding relative position as recognition dawned on the old AVALANCHE crew.

Cid cursed softly as Tifa turned away, face in her hands. Cid couldn't exactly blame her, with what was evident.

There he was, after all this time. He evidently found what he sought, that much was clear.

There above Mideel, Cloud Strife lazily floated in the Lifestream, Aerith Gainsborough firmly in his arms. Their lips pursed together, arms roaming about each other like they were just discovering each other.

Cid couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn he heard a stifled sob from Tifa. He turned away, placing a comforting arm around her.

_What is with the timing today??_ He thought heatedly. _First Shera, now Cloud. Don't we--_

"Don't we just have all the luck??" Tifa hissed.

Cid hugged her. "Dun worry. I'm not letting' you go without a fight."

Tifa smiled, just as Reeve's deep voice filtered across the meadow.

"Shera, have we missed any Jenova cells?"

"Yes." She replied. "The ones that lie dormant, inside of Cloud. I'm reinitiating our filters now."

"Keep filtering." Reeve said. "Drop the fields again if we should encounter them again."

Reeve walked over, putting a warm hand on Tifa's shoulder. "You all right, Tifa?" He asked, softly.

Tifa nodded, not saying anything. Cid Highwind's eyes, however, told him exactly what he wanted

_Don't worry, Reeve. I'll take care of her._

An alarm brought everyone to alert, Reeve's long legs carrying him to the offending console in record time.

"We're coming up on a wave of particles!" One of the WRO men shouted. "Force ten and climbing!"

"Full power to containment fields!" Reeve shouted. "We've got to keep it under control!"

Not moments after the words escaped Reeve's lips, one of the containment modules ruptured, cleaved clean in half. The dark green of Jenova matter leapt into the air, crossing miles in mere seconds.

"Get that under control!" Reeve demanded as the next few containers broke in similar fashions, each bit of alien matter going in different directions.

After the havoc that had been wrought settled, Reeve asked for a status report, his normally immaculate hair messy and matted.

"L-Lifestream purged…" One of the men said, sheepishly. "We got about forty percent of Jenova contained."

"What about the rest!" Reeve demanded. "The rest are loose in the world, raising all sorts of Cain! What parts got away?"

"Mostly volatile cells, one containing large amounts of G substance, and three containing S substance."

"Genesis." Reeve hissed. "And the remnants as well. Of all the…"

"Reeve, calm down." Cid said. "Here, siddown." He pushed Reeve back into a chair. "Alert all stations, lock them down and go to condition red alert. Report any unusual sightings or happenings."

"Yes, Fleet Captain." came the response from several of the WRO crew, thankful to have someone, anyone tell them what to do.

"You got a plan, Cid?" Barret called, an excitement he hadn't seen in years dancing in his old friend's eyes.

"Damn right, for once." Cid said. "We're goin' after these bastards. I for one am sick and pretty damn tired of all the hell they've been causing all of us for all these years. An' by my line of thinkin', it's high time we finished this fight."

Maybe it was just that it was every one of the old AVALANCE crew was tired, or getting sentimental as the years went on. It was a total of four years since Sephiroth had originally been defeated, but there was just something about how Cid's conviction roused that fighting spirit once again.

Tifa however, was more concerned with just how to go about defeating four Sephiroths. One was bad enough on all of them, and she had an idea about just how to do it.

"Shera," she asked. "Just how long until the Lifestream goes back under?"

Shera was indeed puzzled, but checked her console. "Forty-five minutes." She replied. "Why?"

"I've got a plan." Tifa said. She looked up onto the _Highwind's _deck. "Hold on, Cid. I'll be right back."

With that, Tifa began to walk straight for the main stream. "Whoa, Tif." Cid called, vaulting over the railing. "What do you think yer doin'?"

"We're up against some of the most powerful beings on the face of the earth." Tifa said. "There's only one person I'd bet on who would stand half a chance."

Cid frowned, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Fine," he said. "But I'm going with you, like it or not."

Tifa nodded. "Ok, Cid." She said, leading the path into the Lifestream.

--

The netherworld of the Lifestream was warm, his heart thumping hard against his chest. Simply being able to be here, to feel her against him once more, was worth all the hardship and strife he had endured for the past four years.

Ever since the Forgotten City.

Her hair, though, was so soft, her skin so warm. The lips that pressed against his always seemed to light up his soul. This possibility he had never faced was now his and his alone.

_Aerith, I've missed you._

_I know, Cloud. I've missed you too._

"Cloud?"

Both sets of eyes, whether they be grass green or Mako blue, shot open.

Cloud's stomach reached the soles of his shoes when he saw just who it was who had spoken his name.

"Tifa…"

Tifa remained silent while Cid (_where did he come from?)_ crossed his arms and grunted "Cloud."

"Hello, Captain." Aerith said, not forgetting Cid's rank.

"Hi, Aerith." Tifa said, looking down. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has been." Aerith smiled. "Nice to see you two again. And yes, before you ask, I'll leave so you two can talk to Cloud."

Tifa and Cid exchanged glances. Aerith cocked her head, but then let out a warm laugh. "Oh, sorry. It's just that all thoughts and intents are known to all of us in the Lifestream." Her smile still intact, she waved to her old friends and said. "I'll be back."

And with that, Aerith vanished, leaving only the blank white backdrop that signified the border between life and death.

Cloud let out a low chuckle. "Guess it's some kind of Cetra trait." He said. His tone was self-reproachful, but his smile lingered. "Can't say I can read anything from you two."

Cloud gazed longingly at where Aerith had vanished. He also took note of Tifa's reaction, her arms crossed over her chest, looking down. Cloud felt a pang of guilt for hurting Tifa by having her see Aerith again, but his mind was made.

But since his two old friends were here, Cloud figured he might as well help them.

"Well, are you two here looking for someone?" Cloud asked, turning to face them. "I'm still getting the hang of moving around in the Lifestream, but I can help you find who you're looking for."

"It's kinda like that." Tifa said, still looking down. "Cloud, we're here to see you."

"Me?" Cloud blinked. "Why me?"

"Cloud, we got a big problem up on the surface." Cid said. "Ya remember those files we found on that G fella?"

Cloud nodded and Cid continued. "Well, our buddies at the WRO tried to evict Jenova, try to keep her under wraps. They bungled it, badly. Now that G guy's on the loose as well as those incest freaks we fought two years ago. Whaddya call 'em… Kazoo, Yoz, and what's-his-face."

"Yazoo, Loz and Kadaj." Cloud said. "What's it got to do with me?"

"We need help to take them down once and for all." Tifa said, finally getting her comeuppance. "Cloud, please come back with us."

"What?" Cloud said, his eyes going livid. "N-No, I can't. Aerith and I just…"

"Look, Cloud." Tifa stabbed an accusatory finger at him. Cid recoiled from the force in her voice, and cloud could feel those now blood red eyes of hers boring into him. "You walked away a year ago when I needed you. And now, it's not just us who need you now. We've got four Sephiroths on the loose. You're the best chance we have of stopping them."

"And that's it." Cid said. "After that, ya can do whatever the hell ya want. Much as I hate to admit it, we need yer help, Cloud."

Cloud's head bowed, his eyes squeezed shut. "I can't." He whispered. "I - I can't go back, not just yet."

"Cloud, it's not as if we have a choice." Tifa said. "She'll still be here when we're finished."

"I-" Cloud began, casting a backwards look to where Aerith was. He shook his head and looked both of his friends in the eye. "I won't let you down. I'll be there. Just, let me say goodbye. And I'll be back soon." As an afterthought, Cloud added "I promise."

Tifa and cid nodded, and then faded from view, much of the same way Aerith did.

Cloud sucked in a deep breath and turned to face Aerith's direction, to find her standing there.

Cloud instinctively smiled, looking into those lovely green eyes of hers.

"Do you have to go away?" she asked.

Cloud nodded. "Only for a little bit, Aerith." He said. "Once this is done, I'll be back. I promise."

Aerith nodded, kissing Cloud on the cheek. "Go help your friends. I'll be waiting."

Cloud smiled and turned to go.

"Cloud." Aerith called. He turned to see her waving. "I love you."

Cloud beamed at hearing her say that. "I love you too, Aerith."

And with that, Cloud left the Lifestream, finding his feet on the damp red mud of Mideel.

"All right," he announced after checking if his First Tsurugi sword was still in place on his back. "What are we waiting for?"

Sorry everyone for the long wait. I'm working two jobs at the moment and 12-hour days. So my updates will probably be confined to weekends. Thank you all for your continued support and reviews.


	10. Chapter 10: Shera's Closure

Cloud sat in the bunk he had taken for himself, First Tsurugi near the door. The past hour, he had done the best he could to both conquer his motion sickness and get the facts of the situation straight in his head. He was the leader after all, wasn't he?

As Highwind passed over Fort Condor, Cloud's thoughts drifted to other things, like just how funny it was that everything had now come full circle. Here he was, with all the old friends he made, even Vincent and Yuffie. In the old Highwind, no less, not the Shera that Cid prided himself on, but was lost in the Battle of Midgar.

Seeing these old faces and these old situations and surroundings made Cloud feel nostalgic, thinking that the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

And the best part; he didn't have to feel alone anymore. She was there, waiting in the Lifestream for him to come back to her.

However, this time the situation was different, and to a certain degree, worse. The planet had been through enough, with the Geostigma epidemic and all the hell DeepGround had brought about. Now, there were four Jenova's sons, four potential Sephiroths running around, back with a vengeance

Well, no one said this was going to be easy.

The other hard part hit on an even more sensitive level. A small technicality, regarding someone who had been there for him for ages. Thinking of her made him feel excruciatingly guilty for how he felt about Aerith.

That kink, the difficulty he faced, in a word, was Tifa.

He hadn't been oblivious to her feelings about him. For crying out loud, she even confessed to him that night outside the airship before they fought Sephiroth. She probably hoped that he was asleep, but fate wouldn't let her off so easy.

_Cloud,_ she had said, loud enough so that Cloud could barely hear it. _I love you. _

"Sorry, Tifa." He murmured to himself. "I can't anymore. I love her, she loves me. I'm sorry."

Without anything else to say, the other side of him, the part that other people labeled as cocky and self-assured said _She's a big girl, Cloud. She'll get over you_.

Casting the old crush he had as a boy away for the last time, Cloud looked out the porthole as Highwind approached the mountain range near Healin.

--

Cid's sky-blue eyes chanced a glance at the altimeter, checking that the airship was indeed at 2000 feel MSL. This, at least, was the part of his job that was the easiest.

With this ship, he didn't have to worry too much about jealousy and rejection and other such emotions, nor was he caught in an emotional crossfire with the Highwind.

However, with the other situation he was now involved in, there was absolutely no question about where Cid stood; with Tifa, right by her side right till the bitter end. Not just because he was sleeping with her, but also the fact that what Cloud had done to her struck Cid as underhanded and sadistic.

He only noticed now just how quiet the girl in question was, leaning not two feet away from him on his console. Her head was down, those lovely angular eyebrows of hers knit in a depressive arch that went with her downcast face. To be perfectly honest, Cid was sure she was about to start crying.

Not that Cid Highwind knew much about women.

A gloved hand reached out to gently hold her shoulder. "You okay, Tifa?" He asked, gently.

Tifa looked up, making a damned honest attempt to smile. _Well, it_ half_-worked; that's better than naught_. She simply nodded, not saying anything.

_Dammit, girl_. Cid thought to himself. _I know yer hurtin', talk ta me, sweetie._

As fate would have it, it would seem that Cid would have to make the first move again, thanks to Tifa's chronic shyness. "Listen, Tifa," Cid heaved out a long sigh. "There's no easy way outta what we're all in now, and I just know Barret's gonna make some damn comment about how" He cleared his throat and deepened his voice " 'There ain't no getting' offa dis train we on' or somethin' like that."

Tifa let out a small giggle. Good, I'm getting' somethin' through.

"But seriously, Tif." Cid said. "You need anything from me, you just let me know. Even if it's somethin' stupid like a drink or some other shit, you come get me."

Tifa let out another nod, the life coming back to her face. "Thanks, Cid." She said, her voice a bit scratchy from lack of usage. "There-- there actually is something that you can do for me, whatever it is we're all doing after we get to headquarters."

"Was sat?" Cid asked.

"Could we," Tifa leaned in close to whisper. "Could we spend the night like we did last night?"

Cid blinked. He expected she would need something, but nothing this pleasant for him. "Sure." He said, before any other answer could be formulated and examined. And in spite of himself, he felt a small rush of excitement course through him as Tifa smiled at him. A little sad, but it was still a big improvement.

Tifa thanked him, and put one of her gloved hands on his. Now it was Cids' turn to smile. No question now, his loyalty was to Tifa first. That, at least, could be set in stone.

--

Reeve Tuesti sat in the Highwind's operations room, head in his hands. Coffee forgotten in front of him, he began to pace. So much to think about, so many strategies to make, contingencies to plan, what course of action he would have to order to have at the ready, taking whatever steps necessary.

And possible.

Just as the thought crossed his mind of just how much he hated just waiting for something to happen, something indeed happened to him.

"All hands!" Cid's gruff tone barked over the intercom. "We've reached HQ. Prepare to disembark."

Reeve shook himself out of his repertoire and headed upwards towards the deck.

The WRO building up in the mountain range that separated Junon from Midgar was still a hive of activity. Contractors from as far away as Corel had come to help aid in reconstructing the building from the damage DeepGround had done to it. It looked a lot better than it had, but there was still quite a ways to go.

Highwind maneuvered into a standby position near the front building, while the small fleet of airships and supply helicopters made their way towards the hangars in the nearby flatlands.

Reeve gladly accepted the responsibility of being the first one off the gangplank, descending to the ground level to meet the aides who began to organize the unloading of the airships.

Cloud led the way off for the airships' crew, with Cid escorting Tifa off last. After dismissing the aides off on their respective duties, Reeve turned to his old friends.

"Looks like it's going to take a little while to get everything from the Mideel site unloaded." He said. "Why don't you all have a look around until we can have a proper briefing?"

Everyone nodded, and just before Reeve busied himself with an important matter, he called back "And Yuffie, don't touch anything."

"DAMMIT!"

--

Cid made his way through the maze of construction ahead of him towards the back of the WRO grounds, towards the hangars. Being a Fleet Captain as he was, he should be able to be some help. It's not as if he was some cantankerous eighty-year-old.

Tifa had gone off to see the other parts of the building, agreeing to meet Cid at the briefing later.

However, Cid now wished he had her come with him, if for emotional support more than anything else. For he now saw something that tore open a wound he thought he had already closed a few hours ago.

Shera came tearing out of the small building near one of the hangars right for a man wearing a Commander uniform. The Commander scooped her up into his arms, holding her tight as they embraced.

Cid cursed, averting his eyes. He turned about face, leaving before he was seen. Someone else may have labeled it as cowardice; Cid simply didn't want to cause a scene.

However, fate had other plans for Cid Highwind, as the Commander called out "Captain Highwind!"

Hissing a short but quiet burst of curse words, Cid turned, his finest shit-eating grin on his face. Seeing Shera's uncomfortable look gave him the impression she didn't like this any more than he did.

The commander, however plunged ahead, shoving his hand out. "Commander Markinson, Fleet Captain. It's an honor."

Cid harrumphed as he squeezed the hand, wanting to let go all too quickly. Shera leaned up, timidly. "Brian, listen, the Captain's not exactly--"

"Nonsense," Markinson said, jovially. _And I thought I was the one with the shit-eating grin_. "Captain, let me show you the newest model of the Shera."

Practically shoving the air master towards the largest and fanciest-looking airship before he had a chance to protest, Markinson beamed as he showcased the ship he was so proud of.

_Shera_. Cid thought. _I was the first one to name a ship of this importance that. Now comes this fuckin' young whippersnapper trying to copy my style._

"Come, I'll show you around." Markinson beamed.

"Cid," Shera said, taking Cid's arm after Markinson vanished. "I'm so sorry, please…"

"Naw," Cid said, an evil grin on his face. "I want a tour. Maybe straighten some things out."

Cracking his knuckles, Cid stomped up the ramp, all-too eager to start the tour. He heard Shera's quick "Oh, dear," and the scuttling of heels against runway tarmac.

"You're the second guy I've heard her call 'Captain', y'know." Markinson said. "Only other guy was her ex."

"That so." Cid grunted, playing along.

"Yeah." Markinson said. "Real asshole from what she tells me. But somehow, she still loves him a little, between you and me."

"What's his name?" Cid said, playing Markinson right into a corner.

"Well, like I say, my fiancée Sodapop, uhm, Shera I mean-"

Damn you, that was MY pet name for her!

"She always called him Captain. I think his real name was Cid or somethin'." Markinson said, obviously displaying disdain.

"Captain Cid?" the namesake said, edging closer.

"Yeah." Markinson said, eyeing Cid up. Trying to get a reading on just what warranted this proximity.

Cid was right on top of Markinson now, almost nose to nose with the young commander. "As in _Fleet Captain Cid fuckin' Highwind?_!" he snarled, jabbing a thumb at his own chest.

In all his years, Cid never saw a man go so pale so quickly. "S-Sir, I- I didn't--"

"No ya didn't know, did ya. Didn't bother askin' neither." Cid said, backing down. _Poor kid probably pissed his pants_. "It's in the past, and I'd prefer if we just got on this tour. I'm curious about the ship. Lead on."

"Y-yes, sir." Markinson squeaked.

Cid grinned to himself, satisfied with himself.

--

Shera sat down in the WRO staff room on the second floor, head in her hands. She let out a heavy sigh.

"Something wrong?" A gentle voice came from above.

Shera looked up to see Tifa standing above her, Styrofoam cup in hand.

"Oh, hello." Shera said. "N-no, nothing's wrong."

"Come on, give me some credit." Tifa said, a small smile on her lips as she sunk into a chair. "I do run a bar after all."

Shera sighed. "It's Cid." She said, her words coming out in a long, aggravated breath. She caught herself, finding that she sounded like she was talking about her troublesome son.

Well, some men never really grow up, do they?

Tifa's expression suddenly turned cold as her crimson eyes narrowed. "I thought you were engaged."

"Oh, I am." Shera said. "It's not that. My fiancée just took Cid on a tour of his ship."

Now Tifa was puzzled. "So?"

"He named that ship after me." Shera said. "And he doesn't know that the man he's taking is my Cid… your Cid, sorry… I mean…"

"Our Cid?" Tifa said, part of a lopsided grin forming.

Shera nodded, for lack of a better word. "I'm afraid for Brian. Cid'll rip him apart if he gets so much as a fingernail of leverage. You know him, he's like a Dual Horn in a china shop. I mean, Brian can be a little bit, I dunno- overbearing at times. And we both know how the Captain is."

"You think Cid will take him down a peg or two?" Tifa asked. Shera nodded.

"Well, that sounds like Cid all right." Tifa said. An evil grin formed on Tifa's features, one that was uncomfortably close to the one Cid flashed. "Wanna go watch?"

"Tifa!" Shera exclaimed.

"Well, someone's gotta keep them from killing each other." Tifa said, rising from her chair. "I'm going."

"Oh, dear." Shera said, running after the departing Tifa. Finally catching up to her brisk strides, Shera straightened her hair. "So, what did happen between you and the Captain?"

"Why so curious all of a sudden?" Tifa asked.

"Come on, Tifa." Shera said. "I'm a woman too. I like a little gossip from time to time, and I have no one to have girl talk with."

"Well, I really don't know what it is." Tifa said. "But it's comfortable. I feel like I can just be, with him. I don't need to put on a mask or try to please him. Somehow, I just do."

"And you do the same for him?" Shera asked, a knowing smile growing.

"Seems like." Tifa shrugged. "It's nice, having a man, rather than boys fancy you, or have a man like Cid call you beautiful and wonderful…." She hadn't noticed her gushing until she got a reality check from Shera.

"You're in love." Shera said. It wasn't a question, either.

"What?" Tifa spluttered.

"You're in love with Cid." Shera said. It wasn't hard to see that; Shera could have said the same about herself, once upon a time.

"I most certainly am not!" Tifa said, hotly. Shera suspected that the fist fighter only half-believed herself when she said that. And even that was pushing it to the limit.

Shera knew better, though, but decided to leave it. But living with Cid taught Shera to have a sense of humor, if nothing else. "If you say so, Mrs. Tifa Highwind." Shera teased.

Tifa blushed a rich shade, and repressed a giggle. Her eyes met Shera's and they both laughed.

"He's rubbed off on you, you know." Tifa said. "He still sometimes talks about you."

"Oh?" Shera said, a little more reserved than she usually was. She didn't want Tifa to know that, despite herself deep down inside her heart, she still loved Cid dearly.

"All good things." Tifa assured her. "I know you still feel for him, Shera. You never stop loving someone, no matter what. It's OK."

Shera smiled. "Thanks, Tifa. But I'm glad for you two, honest." She said. "Take good care of Cid for me, okay? He deserves a good girl like you, and you deserve a hard-working man like him."

"Thank you," Tifa said. "That -that really means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it." Shera said, looking up at the Shera Mk II. "I hope Brian's okay."

"Five gil says Cid's disemboweled him by now." Tifa grinned running up the plank.

Trying to catch up, Shera thought to herself _I don't care what she says; she is SO in love with him. _

_Well, I can't really blame her. Cid is, after all, a remarkable man._

--

"You got some goddamn reason to think I wouldn't know if your auxiliary engine circuits blew in mid air?" Cid demanded, angrily. Part of him was genuinely offended, but he mostly just enjoyed watching Markinson squirm.

"N-no, sir." The younger man spluttered. All through the tour, he'd been jumpier than a stung cactaur. "It's just that I thought an officer of your age wouldn't have the time for a simple backup system."

Cid halted and stabbed a finger at Brian Markinson. "Hold it, son. What about my age?"

"S-sorry." Markinson said. Yup, Cid thought. Him and Shera are peas in a pod. "If it's a sensitive subject…"

"Sensitive?" Cid said. "What's so damn sensitive about not bein' dead?? Just how old d'ya think I am?"

"Thirty-six years, sir." Markinson said, as if he read it off a sheet of paper.

"How the fuck'd ya know that?" Cid said. "You some kinda fuckin' goddamn computer?!"

"No, sir." Markinson winced. "Shera - Ms. Mallory told me."

Cid harrumphed. "Almost as bad." He muttered, walking down the hallway, hands behind his back and head held high.

"Sir," Markinson said, catching up behind Cid's quick strides from his long legs. "She's a smart woman, and very reliable."

"Yeah, I guess," Cid said heavily. _Why the hell'd I let her go then?_ "And damn annoying sometimes."

Markinson said nothing. Cid turned to him again, Tifa suddenly coming into his mind. "Listen, kid. I know I've been tough on ya. And you've been bearing it like a champ. Somethin' like that tells me yer the man for Shera. For what it's worth, you got my blessing."

Markinson blinked. "T-thank you sir." He said, a smile forming on his lips.

Cid then began to go into the best advice he could give the soon to be husband and pilot. "Well, son, this is a new ship." He admitted. "But she's got the right name. You remember that."

"I will, sir." Markinson said, nodding earnestly.

Cid patted the younger man on the shoulder. "She's yer Lady Luck. You treat her as such." Looking around the hallway, he said almost sadly "and she'll always bring you home."

"Yes, sir." Markinson smiled.

"Well, enough mushy shit from an old man." Cid said, his gruff demeanor coming back. Just in time to see Yuffie Kisaragi come running around the corner, holding onto a nearby railing for dear life.

"Hey, Cid." She called. "Reeve wants us in the briefing room. You too, Teefsters!" She called, waving over Cid's shoulder.

Cid wheeled about to see Tifa suppressing a smile. And beside her was Shera, blushing a whole new color that Cid had never before seen.

"You two didn't hear nothin'!" He snapped, and marching towards the nearest exit. He was talking mad, but it was only out of sheer embarrassment.

As Markinson followed him, casting a bemused glance at Yuffie, Tifa and Shera filed out behind their respective men, giggling to each other. That left the ninja all alone.

"SOOOOO weird, gawd." Yuffie huffed before following them.

Well, there we go. Got another chapter on the kettle, so don't go away. And please review.


	11. Chapter 11: Takes All Kinds

Author's note: Hey, everybody! Sorry for the long-ass wait for an update, (Holy shit, it HAS almost been a year! Sorry, guys!) but things have come crashing down, as it were. With financial woes and computer issues, I haven't been able to get back to this as often as I'd like. However, I haven't forsaken you completely! I had no intention of abandoning this or any other fic of mine. My time's been eaten up by writing this story long hand in rough draft form, so you guys get a nice polished product, not some badly written, angst-laced bullshit. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Let's get on with it, shall we?

Chapter 11 : Takes All Kinds

The briefing room in the WRO headquarters is located a long way from any entry point, so as to ensure that the maximum amount of security is taken to keep critical operations confidential from those prying eyes and ears which might undo them.

Despite the bedlam that Vincent remembered from DeepGround's attack over a year ago, the staircases and furnishings were in good repair, all in perfect military order.

The glass door hissed shut as Red entered the briefing room, the last one to arrive. Everyone had already been seated.

Reeve sat at the head of the table, where everyone could see him. Once he had ensured that all persons involved were in attendance and that everyone was prepared, he launched into the briefing.

"As you are all aware," Reeve began, his voice grave. "Thirty-six hours ago, an unsuccessful attempt to purge the Lifestream of Jenova cells resulted in the release of four highly dangerous individuals into the world. We of the WRO are of the opinion that these men should be terminated with extreme prejudice. For a more detailed explanation, I'm turning this briefing over to our resident expert in these matters."

Reeve stood and took a seat off to the side, next to Barret. Cloud then rose to take Reeve's place, though instead of sitting down in the now vacant seat, he moved the chair out of the way and activated a screen concealed behind a panel bearing the WRO logo.

"I'm not going to regurgitate facts, so I'll cut to the chase." He said, calmly and coolly. "We were all there and we know what happened. I've studied the preliminary reports made by the WRO scientists who studied the Mako residue left behind in the containment pods and they've been able to make positive DNA matches on the four pods that broke open."

Touching the small control panel, the lights in the briefing room dimmed and the screen lit up. Cloud stepped aside so that the other could get a good look at the personnel file that had been called up. Cid had to squint to see the finely written biography that accompanied, an act that eventually proved to be in vain, for Cloud began to read out the important bits.

The file photo showed a young man, no older than his mid twenties. Cid frowned It was always the punk kids who seemed to be the ones rousing all the trouble in the world. To be perfectly honest though, Cid had a hard time distinguishing the kid's sex. The face was very severe and angular, almost feminine in terms of the shape and curvature. The eyes still had that piercing gray Mako stare, one that almost gave his eyes a glossed over look Cid had only seen before on a corpse. The silvery hair that flowed down long and lady-like almost concealed his sharp angular eyebrows.

"Yazoo Yoshiyuki." Cloud said, evenly. His tone seemed bland and cold, almost uninterested, but those who knew him like Cid, those who had fought and struggled and bled beside him like Cid and everyone else in the room could detect an undercurrent of dislike, almost hate in his voice. "One of the three Sephiroth remnants we encountered two tears ago. Proficient with various forms of firearms and basic hand to hand combat. His psychological profile suggest that his personality is very mild, cold and calculating, not prone to emotional outbursts. Despite his cold demeanor he still is a very dangerous man."

Cloud changed the slide again, this time showing a man with a much stronger face. The cheekbones and chin were a lot stronger and masculine, and the short cropped hair helped with the overall masculine appearance. However, there still was the same Mako gaze that gave his eyes the color of tempered steel, cold and unyielding. And the hair was still the same silver color.

In his peripheral vision, Cid saw Tifa's jaw visibly clench. He had heard about the wholloping this jackass had bestowed on Tifa back during the Geostigma crisis, and from that glint in her eyes, he could tell she was as anxious to repay that debt on the remnant as he was. The pilot repressed a grin at his possessive streak.

"Loz Leng." Cloud said, that same undercurrent still in his voice. "Two of the three remnants, adept in advanced close quarters combat. As powerful and strong as he is, his personality is extremely unstable, resulting in a severe inferiority complex. Pushed far enough, he might become angry and make a mistake."

Another slide popped up, this time showing an all too familiar face. The same arrogant stare, the same Mako green cat-like eyes, the same long silver hair that concealed half his face. Cid recognized his from two years ago, remembering what a pain in the ass he was.

"Kadaj Matsuoka." Cloud said, a visible crease appearing on his forehead. "The leader of the Remnant party. A skilled swordsman, a violent youth and a ruthless enemy, he considers himself to be a prophet for Jenova's return, whatever that means. Extremely unstable, he is a fanatic to his belief and will fight for his cause to the death."

Cloud touched the control stud one final time, revealing the final target.

This was a man nobody recognized, save for Cloud. The fiery crop of red hair seemed to curtain his cruel face, framing it to show that he fancied himself as important. His cold blue eyes seemed to have the ability to immobilize weak willed men with a piercing glare, and the thin lips gave a subtle, cold sneer.

"Former SOLDIER First Class Genesis Rhapsodos." Cloud said. The undercurrent of dislike was gone, replaced by an even more subtle on that Cid couldn't quite put his finger on. Envy, maybe? Liking? Hero worship? SOLDIER members were idolized by young men before the collapse of the Shinra Corporation, so something like that wouldn't be a stretch to imagine.

"This is one man whom we know very little about. In fact, the WRO and most of the Shinra Corporation had thought him dead until now. What we do know is that he is extremely violent and dangerous, both to himself and others around him. I only saw him once, back when I was still working for Shinra. We were sent to Modeoheim to capture or kill a renegade SOLDIER, who turned out to be Genesis. I'm guessing that why he was summoned out of nonexistence was that the Jenova cells inside him reacted strongly, too strong to be contained in Mideel."

"Thank you, Cloud." Reeve said, standing to regain his seat. Cloud hit the wall panel again, concealing the screen and bathing the room in full light.

Seating himself back at the head of the table, Reeve's expression was grim. "Unfortunately, we haven't got the faintest idea where any of these men may be. Our satellite coverage of the world was scrambled by their exit from the Lifestream, and we've not seen hide nor hair of them. I've ordered all WRO stations around the world to be placed on Red Alert and full lockdown. Any signs of trouble, no matter how remote, will be reported immediately."

"Well, we can't just wander aimlessly like we used to." Cid said, sitting back. "When you get a lead, just point us in the right direction." He smiled at his logic. The _Highwind _was still under his command, and she was more than capable of saving the world again.

Reeve nodded. "There is still one more matter to be attended to." He said, before everyone left their chairs. "Until now, the WRO has enjoyed the benefit of being funded by a benefactor whom I've never met."

"Until now?" Barret broke in. "You tellin' me the WRO's broke?"

"No," Reeve said. "It's just that our mysterious benefactor has chosen now to reveal himself. Until now, all he's done is write us the checks."

"And rest assured, it'll stay that way." A smooth, low voice resonated from the doorway.

All eyes turned to the source of the voice. One had to admit, he looked different without the white cloak covering the Geostigma blemishes, but it was undeniably him. Rufus Shinra, still confined to a wheelchair, but very much alive, sat in the doorway, flanked by the Turks.

"The only difference this time, is that I feel I must contribute something some than gil to the restoration of our world." Rufus' voice still had that silky smooth touch, the same that gave Cid the feeling he wasn't going to like the way things were going to unfold. Shinra had screwed the planet over, hell, they screwed HIM over twice!

Reeve's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What kind of contribution did you have in mind?"

"Well, as everyone here is, I am aware that the Shinra Corporation - my company - owes the planet a great deal. To that end, I have gathered a squad of specialists to assist you in tracking down and destroying these - shall we say 'free radicals'."

_Spoken like a true goddamned businessman…_Cid harrumphed to himself.

The Turks behind Rufus seemed to snap to attention. In his monotone, deadpan voice, Tseng said "Turk squad, reporting for duty."

All four of the Turks stood ready to assist the old AVALANCHE party. Rude, Reno, Elena and Tseng. The cops and robbers, hand in hand! The irony was evident, even to Cid.

Apparently, the Turks were way of the assignment as well. Rude and Reno simultaneously crossed their arms, raising eyebrows at the same time like some kind of bizarre mirror image. However, their discipline evidently was able to keep their opinions to themselves.

As if he were afraid his people would say something out of line, Rufus did all the talking. "These are my best agents, I have full confidence in each of them. They will obey your orders as well as fight, and even die in the line of duty."

This seemed to be a bit much for Reno's ego. "Die for the WRO, boss? C'mon, a pro's not someone who sacrifices himself for the job at hand. That's just an idiot."

Rufus seemed to take his underling's leer the wrong way. "Our interests are mutual." He said severely. "Until they cease to be so, you will get the job done _no matter what the cost. _Understood?"

"Yessir," Reno said, a little too quickly. His expression changed from cocky and self-assured to that of a whipped dog. He took this moment to become fascinated by the configuration of his stun baton.

Reeve seemed to forget this oversight, and in the interests of the mission, Cid couldn't blame him. If these bastards were for real, and really serious, they would need all the help they could get.

"On behalf of the WRO and the people of our world, I thank you for your assistance." Reeve said, standing politely. "In the meantime, you all are free to go as you please. All I ask is that you keep your PHS units handy, for we have no idea when one of the targets might decide to make an appearance."

"So effectively, until one of these bastards show, we're on shore leave." Cid said, hopefully. If that were the case, his mind was already scheming.

"Until we hear from one of our listening posts, then yes, for lack of a better word." Reeve said.

"Not a problem." Cid clapped his hands together. "Who's up for a trip to Edge?"

Tifa smiled radiantly next to him, catching his real meaning. He did make a promise, after all.

Barret agreed on Edge, but Cloud had other plans. "You going past Kalm on your way there?" He asked. When Cid nodded, he continued. "Then, would you mind dropping me off there? I need to plan our strategy. Vincent, I'll need your help, if you don't mind."

The gunslinger shook his head no. As soon as he agreed, Yuffie announced "I'm coming too!" a smidgen louder than was necessary. Red decided to take in Kalm as well

The Turks decided to plan their strategy from the WRO building. With everyone in the know of each other's location, the AVALANCHE crew set off for the _Highwind. _

_---_

During their Kalm stopover, the members in question disembarked, Cloud carrying the most baggage. (Namely his First Tsurugi blade, materia set and Fenrir motorcycle)

With the airship become considerably lighter and quieter, she sped off towards Edge. Cid stayed at his post, still standing after creation-only-knew how many hours of sleep.

Come to think of it, no one had really gotten that much sleep in the past thirty-six hours or so. Funny how time seems to simply melt away like ice under a hot sun when you didn't think about it.

And of course, as luck would have it, just when he thought of the longevity he had without a simple yawn, the fatigue came onto him like a crushing Demi spell. So much so he nearly buckled at the helm.

Shaking his head, Cid steadied himself and lit a cigarette. Wanting some distraction to keep him awake, he flicked on the small disc player next to the helm console.

As soon as he did so, his music began to filter in through the loudspeakers in the bulkheads next to him. Startled by how loud he had it, Cid promptly turned it down. For all he knew, Tifa and Barret were sleeping below deck. And he didn't want to find himself on the wrong end of his friend's Gatling gun for waking him up.

Almost without realizing it, Cid began to tap the wheel as the music began to pulse through him, and before long, he began humming as well. This was the classic stuff, not that noise kids seemed to listen to these days, be it indecipherable beats with someone mumbling in the background, or the rape of electric guitars with some pretentious prepubescent whining about how bad he's got it.

Before long, Cid actually found himself singing some of the words as well.

_I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day,_

_When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May._

Grinning at his old favorite, he launched into the chorus with the one person blow deck who was on his mind.

_I guess you could say, what can make me feel this way,_

_My girl, my girl, my girl_

_Talkin' bout my girl._

_My girl._

Cid nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard another voice, somewhat more melodic and pleasant than his jump in from behind him

"I've got so much honey, the bees envy me,"

Cid whirled about to see Tifa, arms crossed and leaning against the doorway. She wore that playful smile on her face, the one that Cid couldn't help but let contaminate his own.

Turning the volume down even lower, he asked "How long you been there?"

"Not long." His girl replied, coming towards him. "I've got that in a jukebox back home."

Cid's grin widened. "I always knew you had taste," He said.

Tifa's idea of thanks came in a soft kiss, one that Cid was more than willing to say "You're welcome" to in the same manner.

The kiss seemed to last forever, until the hiss of the track changing got Cid's attention. The beat changed to something a little more jovial than the doo-wop he had become accustomed to.

"Aww, this is the best right here." Cid knelt for the volume knob, turning it back up. In the same motion, he flicked on the autopilot and turned to Tifa.

The rich, deep voice began to filter in over the old time guitar beat, Cid beginning to go along with it.

The lover's eyes met as the vocals began to change.

_Well, I don't claim to be an A student, _

_But I'm trying to be._

_For maybe by being,_

_An A student, baby, _

_I could win your love for me._

As the lyrics began to pick back up about what the singer didn't know about arithmetic, geometry and slide rules, Cid took Tifa by the hip in one hand and her hand with the other. Spinning her about, he began to fill in parts of the lyrics with his own voice, somewhat inferior to the singer in question, in his mind.

Tifa didn't seem to mind, however, having far too much fun being spun about and dipped in time with the music. As Cid had noticed earlier, time seemed to melt away as they danced on the bridge.

Time seemed to go by so quickly, neither of them noticed their ETA estimate. Rudely, they were reminded by a hideous crackling from the _Highwind'_s radio system.

"_Unidentified airship, this is Edge Air Control. State your flight plan and destination, over."_

Cid hissed out a quick "Shit!" and hurried to the console. Flicking the autopilot off and killing the music, he responded. "EAC, this is _Highwind_, flight Gulf-Tango-Charlie-Sierra-Charlie. Aiming to set down on your airstrip, over."

The radio crackled for a moment. Tifa chose this time to sneak up behind Cid and wrap her arms gently around his waist. The pilot smiled back at her, but before he could do anything else, the radio demanded his attention again.

"_Gulf-Tango-Charlie-Sierra-Charlie, flight ID confirmed. Cleared to land on runway zero-niner. Over and out."_

Cid hung the radio back up onto its cradle and adjusted the ship for her final approach.

---

Thanks primarily to Tifa's prudence and business-savvy, Seventh Heaven was located fairly close to the airport, which resulted in a very short trip for the fatigued travelers.

The lights were still on upstairs when the cab pulled up to the bar, meaning that the babysitter Tifa had arranged for Marlene and Denzel hadn't put them to bed yet.

The tinkling of the front door opening alerted a small girl that someone was indeed home. She catapulted her pajama-clad self down the stair, making enough noise to wake the dead at this hour.

"Auntie Tifa!" Marlene's fatigue seemed to evaporate as she bounded down the stairs with the force of a Dual Horn. Looking past her caregiver, she saw someone else, far more important to her. "Papa!"

"Heyy, girl!" Barret boomed, scooping her up onto his shoulder with one powerful swoop. The babysitter came down, heading straight for Barret to discuss what transpired and what the plan was from here on out. Cid didn't stick around, walking up the stair for the glorious relief that would be the bed Tifa had made very clear she wanted to share with him. He had offered to stay at an inn, but she wouldn't hear of it. She nearly had to kick his feet out from under him to convince him to spend the night with her.

As Barret's voice faded as he clomped up the stairs, he heard soft footsteps coming up from behind him. Turning to see what he expected, Tifa pushed him against the wood paneling, grabbing his flight jacket by the front and kissing him fiercely.

Cid's groan of pain and surprise was quickly transformed into a surge of passion. He held his girl close, deepening the kiss.

When they finally broke apart, Tifa led him upstairs to her bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

Cid chuckled. "If that's gonna be the rate per night, I'm gonna have to stay here more often."

"Not likely." Tifa said. "That was just a down payment. You've still got a promise to make good on."

"Later, hon." Cid said, softly. "I'm bushed right now."

"Me too." Tifa said. "Just telling it to you the way it is."

"Telling the way it…" Cid said, incredulously. The majority of women he had been with had played games and never cut to the chase, something that had pissed him off to no end. He had once said to Barret that any man who understands the way a woman thinks should be awarded a Nobel Prize. And to find someone who told it straight without holding back… "Tifa, marry me."

Tifa smiled and slipped her clothes off. Only her undergarments remained on. She climbed into bed, pulling Cid with her. He stripped down to his boxers and dog tags and held Tifa close. Listening to her breath for a few minutes, they both drifted off into the blissful subconscious of sleep.

End of Chapter.

AN: You guys have been exemplary in your patience. You're all awesome!!! I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Not that it matters, but I wrote in two of my favorite songs of all time in this chapter. Namely, _My Girl _by The Temptations and _What A Wonderful World_ By Sam Cooke. Great listens.

Next chapter coming soon, I promise!!


	12. Chapter 12: A Night on the Town

Chapter 12: A Night on the Town.

After leaving Cid to sleep, Tifa had reached a decision to keep Seventh Heaven closed for the time being, so as to commit fully to her obligation to the WRO, much to the chagrin of her regular customers. She took this lull in business to catch up on some paperwork that had been lagging at the end of each bullshit day for the past few months.

However, despite all the rituals she had preformed to bunker down and fill out numbers and other bureaucratic muckamuck, - chilled apple juice with ice in a small tumbler on her old style roll top desk, pen behind her ear, and even her reading glasses in place - the eraser on the back end of her pencil tapped aimlessly against her pouting lips, her mind a million miles away. Namely, the pilot who had just turned over in his sleep.

After about a span of fifteen minutes that seemed to last for a few hours, a creak in the floor alerted Tifa that someone had entered her cramped office. She turned about to see Cid, his rumpled clothes fitting loosely from their nocturnal sedimentation of the floor. His goggles hung around his neck, small particles from sleep clogging the corners of his eyes near his aquiline nose.

His expression was disappointed. "Damn, I can't sneak up on ya."

"Well, you're not exactly subtle, Cid." Tifa smiled. She stood up to kiss him gently. "I was just thinking about you."

"That's sweet of ya," Cid smiled, kissing her gently. "Listen, you gonna be around here for the next few hours?"

Tifa's brow furrowed quizzically. "Yeah. What do you mean?"

"I got some business to take care of for a little bit." Cid said. "I'll be back, I promise."

"Okay." Tifa said. "What kind of business?"

"It's a surprise." Cid grinned after a brief pause. Pulling away out the door, he pointed at her and added "You're gonna like it."

Before Tifa could protest, Cid was gone. The faint tingle of the bells above the front door reached her ears, leaving her to the bureaucratic hell that awaited her on the desk.

---

After an eternity of impatience, pacing and general not knowing what to do with herself, nine minutes after six rolled around. Still no sign of Cid and Tifa began to get impatient. She waited up in her apartment above the bar, TV on as background noise and arms folded in emotional preparation for Cid's tardiness.

Just like her to get he damned hopes up! One would have thought she learned her lesson with Cloud. _I guess the drunkard a few months back had been right. "You're just bound to be miserable in life if you care about any one else but yourself."_

The day had dragged on. One can only clean the mirror behind the arrangement of liquor bottles or polish the brass so many times, even for a perfectionist.

Eventually, the doorbell rang. Not the bar one, the distinctive chime of the apartment one, accessible only by the sturdy wooden staircase in the alley. Ready to give him a sizable piece of her mind Tifa stormed to the door, fury loudening her steps as she wrenched open the door…

…And was stunned by the sight that awaited her.

It was Cid, as she expected, but she had never seen him like this. Even his most horrific injuries that he'd tried to tough out like a macho man -and always caved into letting her heal - hadn't shocked her like this.

His goggles and gloves were nowhere to be seen. Equally absent was his scarf. His hair was combed into two even portions to the left and right, and the blue three piece suit was immaculate, complete with a black tie in a very thin Four-Point knot, resulting in the thick part of it reach his brass-buckled belt. Despite the formal wear, Cid still seemed to make it look casual, yet unreasonably attractive. Perhaps that was attributed to the open jacket, and the loose button at the collar, giving him the look of a tough renegade cop from an adventure novel. All he was missing was the cigarette dandling out of his mouth, spewing Humphrey Bogart-esque lines.

Like the one he said when she opened the door and dropped her jaw on the floor.

"Hey, barkeep. What kinda joint ya runnin' round here, angel?"

Tifa spluttered trying to find the right words. After a couple of tries, - after Cid quipped "Cat got yer tongue?" - she managed out "W-What's the occasion?"

"Night on the town." Cid said. "You and me."

"Really?" Tifa said, eyes widening. "You mean - - -"

"Dammit, Lockheart, I gotta spell it out for ya?" Cid said, that gruff tough-talking pilot she knew shining through the dashing gentleman Cid could easily pass as.

"That's the surprise you talked about?" Tifa said, smiling. "Usually, I hate surprises."

"No shit," Cid said. His incredulous look evolved into a self-sure grin. "I love surprises."

Taking in Cid's suit again, a crushing wave of self-consciousness and inadequacy. Here he was in a perfect suit, cleaned up and shined, and there she was, hair in a ponytail and bangs, gray shirt and a miniskirt she had picked out of the laundry she had yet to fold and put away.

"Sorry, I'm…" Tifa said softly, blushing crimson.

"Hey, no problem." Cid said, softly, touching the side of her cheek. She caught a whiff of pleasant scented cologne that gave a decidedly masculine scent that mixed well with his biological makeup. "That's why I came early, I figured you'd be relaxed. We've got all night. I'm willing to wait."

Tifa smiled. It was this flexible, on-the-fly manner that made Cid just so easy to be around. "I'll be as fast as you can. Help yourself to anything in the fridge."

"Sure." Cid said. "Just don't get too used to this

Fuelled by anticipation and an almost school girlish giddiness, Tifa quickly showered, blow-dried her hair and slipped into the best clothes that didn't require five hours of forewarning. Her outfit consisted of a white dress that was frilled at the bottom hem and showed a conservative amount of thigh but still looked classy. Tifa liked these types of dresses for semi-formal occasions because they looked nice, but also allowed for some level of mobility. She attached a blue sash around her midriff, trying it around her front. It added some much needed color to her dress and made her breasts pout out slightly.

Finishing off was some conservative makeup - some pale blue eye shadow, mascara and some light blush that accented her fantastic eyes - and golden slipper style shoes made out of a light material that allowed her feet to breath, but still gave a reasonable amount of foot protection without socks. Finally, she pulled her hair into a ponytail that hung down her back, but left her bangs as a facial curtain

Satisfied with her appearance and impressed with the short amount of time she threw everything together, she walked out to find Cid with a small glass of water. Out of what seemed to be the corner of his eye, he turned to Tifa.

This time, it was Cid's turn to goggle, and he had a much harder time picking his jaw up off the floor than Tifa did. "You look…" Cid stammered, smiling widely. "Fantastic."

Tifa smiled and turned her head downwards modestly. "Oh, it's not that big of a deal. Something I just slipped on."

Cid had no problem expressing himself this time. "Bullshit!" It came out a little harsher than he intended, and quickly made up with it. "You look completely amazing."

"Thank you." Tifa said. "Goes well with my eye candy, wouldn't you say?" She touched Cid's chest playfully.

"Just as well as I go with my arm candy." Cid countered, extending his arm. "Whaddya say, precious? Shall we go?"

Tifa looped her bare in between Cid's and said with a wide genuine smile "Lead on, handsome."

---

Cid hadn't been this nervous for a very long time on a date. Hell, the last time his palms were this sweaty was in high school. His first impulse was to wipe his hands on his pant legs, but these weren't his work cargo pants that he usually inhabited. This was a suit nobody would ever expect that he kept in pristine condition.

Making small talk about how the day progressed and where Cid have ventured during the few hours since the morning, it was but a short walk through the twilit streets of Edge to their destination.

A large restaurant that was furnished in the style of a bygone age that seemed to be a generation behind in the times sat two stories shorter than the warehouse to its right. The white lights that read _Nostalgia_ glittered against the magenta sunset.

"Here?" Tifa asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

_Oh, hell. She knows this place and it's a dump. Or worse. _"Is - is it all right?" Cid asked, slipping a finger inside the collar that was suddenly too tight, allowing the heat to rise a little faster than he'd like. "I heard this place was pretty high class and its ratings are pretty good…"

"Well, we'll see." Tifa said. "I've never been here before."

Cid visibly relaxed. He just hoped Tifa hadn't noticed his bout of nervousness. Without further ado, he led the way to the brass trimmed glass door that led the way into the building. But not before he held the door open for Tifa. Her smile and over-the-top curtsy gesture bolstered his confidence and made him hopeful for the evening.

The interior was furnished in the same generation as the exterior, in rich brown wood paneling and brass finishing. The main floor was devoted to a spacious dance floor, inhabited by a variety of people swinging in time with the old time music. On the far side of the floor was a large ornate staircase that led to the upper floor. The path to the stairs was cordoned off by red velvet ropes that were supported by brass poles that came up to the waist that wouldn't be out of place in a high-class hotel or a bank.

One of the waiters in smart tails came up. "Welcome back, Cap'n." He said with a grin that showed all his astonishingly white teeth. "Your table's ready. If you please, this way."

He gestured up the stair, as Cid took Tifa's hand to guide her up the stairs.

The upper level was just as nice as the lower, albeit better lit by chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. Tables were placed around the room that could easily hold over a hundred people and was probably a hot spot for parties and other socialite events that were a cut above frequenting a bar.

The waiter lead them to an isolated table, away from the hustle and bustle of the main area, but kept a respectable distance from the noise of the kitchen.

Before leaving to attend to other guests, the waiter lit the small candle in the center of the small table and took their drink orders. Tifa settled on a dry Cosmopolitan, while Cid asked for a small carafe of vodka and a stein of beer to chase it with. He couldn't help but notice Tifa's eyebrows quirk. Couldn't really blame her either, this was a side of Cid even _he _had never seen before. She said so and the pilot simply shrugged. "I haven't either. Just don't get too used to this kind of thing."

"Oh, don't worry." Tifa smiled, squeezing Cid's hand across the table. "If I did, it wouldn't be special anymore. It's fun to dress up like respectable people once in a while."

"Absolutely," Cid grinned back. He raised his head high and his voice deepened. "Dressin' up in yer best and lookin' down your nose at lesser mortals."

Tifa laughed gently as the drinks arrived. Cid's first order of business was to pour a small amount of vodka into the small glass it came with. Before knocking it back, he took the black pepper shaker from across the table, - after a quick "Pardon my reach," - sprinkled a bit into his hand and from there, into the glass. After letting the grains sift to the bottom, he picked up the small tumbler and knocked the cold vodka back in one fell swoop.

After noticing Tifa's inquisitive look over the top of her light red martini, he suddenly became self-aware of what he did. "Old habit. It's a trick I learned when I was with the Shinra Air Force, back when I was stationed at CF-One-Eleven."

"What's that?" Tifa asked as she leaned forward, evidently interested.

"Old Shinra airbase that used to make strategic drops and bombing runs on Wutai territory. It was stationed out in the Mujabe flatlands, around Cosmo Canyon now that I think about it." Cid fixed himself another pepper laced vodka. "There was practically nothing down there, near an obscure little town called Dryden. And down there, we had to make do with whatever we could get our hands on, and well, Shinra couldn't be bothered to ship everything out there, and alcohol was forbidden on base.

"My buddies and I didn't really care though, so we'd sneak out after hours and go into town for a good time. And with the vodka they used to distill in their bathtubs down there, there was often a lot of fusel oil on the surface. Poisonous if you drink enough of it."

Tifa nodded. "Yeah, I read about it when I first opened up Seventh Heaven." She said. "That's what the pepper's for?"

"Yeah." Cid said. "It's an understood thing down there to sprinkle a bit of pepper in your drink to soak up the fusel oil and take it to the bottom. I got used to the taste , and I guess old habits die hard."

Tifa gave her head a small sideways nod. "I always knew you were well traveled, but you never really said anything about it." She said.

"Well hey, I got tons of stories." Cid said as the menus arrived. "One of these days, I'm gonna have to sit down and write a book."

Tifa laughed wholeheartedly. It was a delightful sound. "You, writing? You really are full of surprises."

Cid simply shrugged and scanned the menu. A bout of self-consciousness rose up warm in his collar region. He was tempted for the staple meat-and-potato kind of deal he had lived on - albeit, a little less extravagant than was presented here - but that wouldn't be gentleman-like. _Hell, she's probably goin' for this whatchamacallit salad or some kinda rabbit food like that…_

He was still debating what could pass as both palatable and filling, when Tifa pulled out a surprise of her own. Without hesitation, she asked for a chicken cordon bleu with mashed potatoes and "A side salad. I guess I have to at least _appear_ to be dainty".

Flabbergasted, Cid didn't hesitate for the steak - well done - lobster and potatoes he had bee sensuously been eyeing up. And he ordered another round of drinks for the two of them, with a sparkling dinner wine to wash the food down with.

"What's the matter?" Tifa asked, bemused as the waiter left. "Something I said?"

Cid chuckled and downed the last of his vodka. "Sorry. Old habits die hard, yanno. Shera'd never have eaten anything like that. She always survived on whatits, like salads and oats, rabbit food like that yanno."

Tifa shrugged her magnificent shoulders. "I dunno. It looked good, so I figured that there would be no harm in it. What?" Her tone became slightly defensive. "You don't approve? You think a girl should exist on rabbit food as you called it and just look pretty?"

Cid straightened himself and said "No, nothing like that, Tif. Hell, I'm _glad _you can stomach something like that. Makes me feel like I don't have to put on a show for ya. You're a girl I can let loose in front of and not be afraid of anything I could say." Cid let out a small contented sigh. "It's a goddamned breath of fresh air actually. And you don't need my approval for nothin'. I'll take you exactly for who you are."

Tifa blushed slightly and folded her hands in front of her on the table. Cid guessed that this just made her night, that she had never heard something like this before. Well, she damned well better get used to it, cause that's what she was getting from Cid Highwind.

"Cid?" She asked softly after the waiter deposited their fresh liquids on the table. "What is this we have here? What are we getting ourselves into. I'd really like to know."

"Know where we stand." Cid said, sprinkling a bit more pepper into the fresh vodka. He let loose a heavy sigh before taking the glass in hand. "I'm really not sure right now, girl. I love being with ya, and I ain't just talkin' about the sex, neither. I'd love to say yer my girl, but I dunno if that's pushin' it maybe."

Tifa's small, shy smile began to blossom into something that gradually became even more radiant. "Cid, you mean a lot to me. You've treated me better than anyone else ever has. I feel like a lady, even a goddess with you. But you also keep me grounded. You tell it the way it is, and I love how straightforward you are. I'd love to call you my man. Do you think that we should - " She left the sentence hanging on purpose, just to see if they were indeed on the same page.

They were. Cid finished the sentence with "Make it official?" He squeezed her soft, tender hand in his from across the table. Her nod was all Cid needed. "Well then, I guess that's that. We're together." He raised the glass up to eye level. "To us, angel."

Tifa repeated the toast, positively beaming. The happiness swelling inside Cid didn't diminish as the vodka burned on the way down.

Dinner arrived shortly thereafter, and everything about it enhanced what a fantastic evening it was. The smell, the texture, the taste, and most importantly, the company. The steak was prepared superbly and the lobster meat was so tender he could have cut it with a fork, if need be. As one of their first acts, the two actually practiced feeding each other, be it morsels of their respective dishes, disappearing into waiting, anxious lips or intertwining arms to drink from each other's flutes of wine.

The whole experience had Cid on Cloud Nine, and Tifa was right up there with him. Right now, nothing else mattered, not to either of them. To hell with the cares of the world, this table, this feeling was their entire world. They had earned this, with all the hurt, all the strife, (In both senses of the word) everything they had gone through was now paying itself back tenfold.

Hours melted away as their ecstasy lasted through dessert and coffee. Cid took special note of Tifa's liking of berry-like sweets, and filed it away in his mind with the other important things, like fuel line specs and course plotting.

By now, the music began to pick up from downstairs. Cid put the cloth napkin he had across his lap on the table and asked "You getting' tired, girl?"

"No." Tifa smiled back. "That was wonderful Cid, thank you."

"Hell, the night's not over yet." Cid grinned. "You up for a spell of dancing?"

Tifa nodded once, tilting her head as she did so. "You're on, hotshot."

After informing the waiter that they would collect the bill later on after a few more drinks, - and giving him a generous tip - Tifa led the way down to the lower level, where the band had been playing steadily for the past hour or so.

The dimly lit dance floor was populated by a respectable amount of people. In an extremely busy times, it would have held about two hundred, but it served the forty-some who swung in tune to the smooth jazz. The majority of these people were older, perhaps a little older than Cid who wanted to have a nice place to dance and drink, without having to deal with the drama and annoyances the youths brought with them to other establishments.

The pair made their entrance in a small, unassuming corner of the floor, while the diva in her blood red dress sang in concert with the jazz players behind her. The music was lilting and slow, and Cid took Tifa at just that pace. He knew from experience that rushing headlong into things would usually spell disaster.

She leaned into him, allowing him to place his hand just above her backside and swung with him as the small specks of stardust light from the disco ball up top shone down.

The night waned on, time melting away as it seems to when one is enjoying themselves. Every so often, Cid would guide them to the bar and order a round or two, starting to put the beer away. Tifa understood the trick; when one has been drinking during the night, it was common to end the night with something light, like beer to counteract the hangover one was to receive the next morning. Tifa had decided to join him in that regard, and the hours melted away.

Before long, the patrons had filtered out of the bar and the digital clock read that it was ten to one in the morning. The staff had begun to filter out and even the musicians had begun to pack up. Cid settled the bill - Tifa couldn't help but sneak a peek and blushed at how much he had spent on her that evening - and they left as the large sign outside winked out.

Outside in the harsh orange light of the streetlamps, Cid stretched and loosened his tie so that it hung low, revealing a button or two. Tifa took her hair tie out and let it hang down naturally.

"Tonight was absolutely incredible, Cid." She said, drawing close to him as they got out onto the main street. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

"Yeah, me neither, love." Cid smiled down at her. It wasn't his wolfish, cocky, lopsided grin anymore. It was a genuinely warm smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly. "Seems like I'm livin' someone else's life."

"Yeah," Tifa said softly. She leaned in close and kissed him softly. "I don't want this night to end, Cid."

"Me neither, angel." Cid said. "Well, you know this town better than I do? Whaddya suggest we do?"

"Well, just about everything's closing right about now." Tifa said, thoughtfully. "Hey, let's go to the statue gardens. It's a beautiful night."

Cid nodded and offered his arm. "Lead on, girl."

The statue gardens had been in place for over a year now in the west side of Edge. They had first arrived as part of an international art festival, but the mayor of Edge had elected to keep them in the park. And through some of the WRO's philanthropic work, there was actual grass in the park.

This was deemed a luxury by many in Edge. While the rest of the world took green grass for granted, Edge wasn't afforded any of it. Thanks to its proximity to Midgar, the land that the smaller city rested on had been deprived of Mako and as a result, withered away.

Now, through mineral enhancements and Mako injections, the land was growing basic grass. A small park had been set up for the local children, and various benches had been installed.

On a night like tonight, however, the statues had begun to glow. This was achieved through a project to entertain the stay-up-laters, like the couple that had just left Nostalgia. Small sprinkler of water had been installed by the bases of the statues and underground light projectors had illuminated the high-flying water droplets in various shades. Against the starlit skies, it was a beautiful sight.

Cid noticed this right from the get go. Another things he noticed was that Tifa was starting to get goosebumps from the cold night air.

At higher altitudes, where Cid was used to being, there isn't a lot of heat. He was used to the cold, and this was nothing compared to some of the flights in the Tiny Bronco he had undertaken. Then again, he was wearing a layer or two, and Tifa's arms were bare.

Cid took his suit jacket off and draped it over Tifa's shoulders. She thanked him and kissed the pilot on the cheek.

Cid however, had other ideas. He had been wanting to do this for hours, and now, with no one about and only the stars as his judge, he put his hands just below Tifa's shoulders and pulled her in, kissing her deeply. She inhaled sharply, but returned his passion once the shock wore off.

Fireworks exploded in Cid's mind as their tongues began to explore each other. This is what he had been waiting for, for all those lonely months. All we wanted was right here, with Tifa.

Well, now he could actually refer to her as _his _Tifa. What a curiously valid cliché it was!

However, as Tifa's arms snaked around his neck, he suddenly felt like something was wrong. A small chuckle from Tifa set his mind whirring. Something was missing. What was it?

He found his answer when the two of the broke apart, Tifa had a sly smile that Cid translated as bad news.

He was right, for she held up his dogtags in one of the hands she had put around his neck!

"Catch me if you can!" She called saucily as she sprinted off. Cid grabbed at her arm, but only caught ahold of the air she left in her wake.

"Damn you," Cid hissed and took off after her, a big goofy grin on his face. He couldn't explain it! She had taken something of his, and yet, here they were, playing tag like a couple of kids!

What really took Cid by surprise was that he felt light as a feather. Careless. Young.

Tifa had taken off for the fountains, and Cid kept a close tail on her, gaining slightly. She was already over the small pinpricks in the concrete, where the water would be sprayed. If it was anything conventional like Cid had seen before, it would be timed to go off at a certain time, every day.

Right now, he wasn't worried about the science of how it worked. Right now, he was almost within reach of Tifa, almost close enough to catch her and take back his tags.

What finally allowed him to catch her was when she halted suddenly, feet braced for an abrupt turn. Cid swept Tifa into his arms, causing her to squeal once as he spun her about, sharing a laugh with her.

After they revolved a few times, Tifa kissed Cid with the same passion she had earlier. Cid's arms roamed her back, feeling every inch of her he could touch in public.

As their lips joined, Tifa returned the dogtags to their proper spot, never halting the kiss or even slowing in her enthusiasm.

The next interruption however, was beyond the control of either or them. The fountain emitters that they were kissing on top of chose that moment to activate, sending small jets of water twenty feet into the air. This caught both of them by surprise, and Tifa squealed from the sudden rush of cold and wetness. Her first instinct was to run, struggling to get out of Cid's grasp, but the pilot held her fast, taking her by the hand and run through the fountains with her.

The pattern of water and light changed constantly, shifting around the statues to provide a dazzling light show. This time around, it was interrupted by the two lovers, darting in and out of the streams, laughing all the while.

By the time it had finished, both of them were drenched and exhausted, but their smiles shone through the physical discomfort.

Tifa led the way back to her flat, but gave Cid a sharp slap on the arm before getting underway.

Rubbing the point of impact, Cid asked "What the hell was that for?"

"You _wanted_ to put me through that," Tifa said, mocking frustration. "Just because I'm wearing white."

Cid frowned for a second. "What're ya talkin' about…." he trailed off when he saw just what the result was.

Tifa's dress had started clinging to her skin, accentuating every curve, emphasizing every provocative line, even showing a bit of her flesh tones through the thin fabric. The sight, coupled with her wet hair and sharp glance was incredibly erotic, to put it mildly.

"Well, I never really thought that far ahead…" Cid said, chuckling nervously.

"Well, I think you're about to see more." Tifa said with a lilt in her voice that matched the bedroom eyes she gave Cid. She took him by the hand and led him back to Seventh Heaven.

As soon as they were in the door, Tifa grabbed Cid by the collar and pushed him against the wall, delivering a rough, passionate kiss. Cid took the blow to the back, pulling Tifa close. He pulled one of her legs over his, feeling how soft, smooth and divinely cool her flesh was. Another hand pulled her hair back, causing her lips to leave his, her head arching backwards. Cid moved in and started kissing her neck, roughly.

Tifa moaned softly, her hands taking hold of Cid's hair. She brought his face back level with hers and kissed him again, this time a bit more subdued.

Stumbling backwards and sightless, they reached the couch where Cid toppled on top of his girl, their lips never parting.

After kissing for what seemed like ages, they broke apart for air. Tifa's eye bored into Cid's with clear desire, and her lovely lips formed a content smile. Cid stroked her still damp hair and marveled at her beauty.

"You know," Tifa said softly. "That water probably had some kind of chemicals or something in it,"

"Oh, well." Cid said, indifferently. "I was gonna dry clean this suit after tonight anyway."

"I wasn't talking about the suit." Tifa said, that same sultry smile dancing about her lips. "I was thinking about hopping in the shower." Tracing a finger down Cid's muscular chest, she smiled "Care to join me?"

Taking off his shirt and tie, Cid said "That's kind of a rhetorical question, girl."

They kissed again, leaving a trail of clothing to the bathroom. Breaking contact for a moment, Tifa turned into the shower, pushing the glass door aside to turn the water on and let it heat up. Cid took this moment to deliver a kiss to the small of her back.

Tifa straightened up and took her dress and undergarments off. Stepping out of the small ring of clothes, she pressed her nude form against Cid, who had left his socks behind and was now working on undoing his belt; an exceptionally difficult task with a beautiful lady demanding the attention of your hands.

Tifa broke contact for a second and made sure that the water was at a comfortable temperature. After ensuring that it was and diverting the water to the shower head, she pulled Cid into the shower with her.

The water pelting down on the two of them was warm, steaming the room in seconds. Cid noticed that Tifa's shivers were no longer of cold, but of want. And in all honesty, he couldn't blame her. The water felt wonderful compared to the cold jets they had just experienced, and the private setting allowed for a more intimate, but no less fun, declaration of love.

Tifa's hands held Cid's shoulders possessively, while Cid's hand held the sides of her cheeks, allowing for a more passionate exploration of each other.

Tifa broke away, reaching for the soap. Slowly, she lathered the two of them up, allowing the soft water her utilities bill paid for rinse the grime and sweat away. Cid could see though that she just wanted a excuse to lay her hands on him, as she lingered over certain parts of his anatomy. Feeling his arousal build, he took the soap from her hand, and after kissing her gently, turned her about to start working on her back.

Rekindling the fond memories of that night in Cosmo Canyon, Cid purposefully pressed his hand into her back, massaging his way down her spine. Tifa sighed contentedly as he did so, relaxing into his arms.

After rinsing the soap off of her back, Cid felt it was high time to make his meaning plain.

Tifa got the message from his touch and turned her head to kiss him as he worked his magic with his hands. Her moans grew in intensity, but she managed a breathy "What is it with us and getting ourselves clean?"

"Hey, I'm not compainin', hon." Cid said with that wicked smile of his. Reaching over, he turned off the water and took Tifa in his arms, the passion threatening to overwhelm both of them.

They dried quickly and hastened to Tifa's bedroom, where her cool sheets awaited them. The ecstasy experienced there, in her bed made even the most violent of thunderstorms Edge had seen seem almost tame by comparison.

Half an hour later, after they had both experienced that glorious release, they lay side by side, kissing gently and tenderly. Tifa ran her hands over Cid's strong arms, as he stroked her hair, gazing affectionately down at her. The lit cigarette in Cid's right hand was with Tifa's approval, albeit grudgingly. She had remarked that she just couldn't change him no matter how hard she tried, to which Cid said "Yer damn right!"

"How's it feel?" Cid asked finally, breaking the comfortable silence and asking the question that hung in the air.

"You mean this?" Tifa asked. "This… 'us' thing?" Cid nodded. Tifa became thoughtful, rather than passionate. "I'm not quite sure. I haven't experienced anything like this is a very long time. But I do know that I like it. A lot. I really, really like what we have, Cid."

That was enough for Cid. But it seemed that Tifa wasn't quite finished. "These past few night, I've felt more love and emotion for and from you that I ever did for … anyone else." The "Cloud" hung in the air, unspoken. Cid felt a pang of jealousy, but he knew that if she was still into him, she wouldn't have been with him. "You've attended to me, you've been there for me, and you treat me well and make me laugh."

Tifa paused, as if mulling something over in her mind, and then decided to speak it. "Cid, I know I'm not going to sound like a responsible adult, but I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't get this out. It's that strong.

"I love you, Cid."

Time seemed to grind to a halt. Cid blinked once, and a smile crept over his face. "You mean that, girl?" He said, none of the usual gruff tones in his voice. She nodded in response. Cid gathered her in his arms, pressing up against her and said "I love you too, sweet thing. I mean that."

After a soft, tender kiss, Tifa tucked her head into the crook of Cid's arm. They talked for a short while, their sentences punctuated with those wonderful "I love you"s that gave them both a swelling feeling of happiness, Tifa turned over and fell asleep.

Cid leaned back, stabbing out the cigarette she allowed him, and began to follow suit. Placing a kiss in between her shoulder blades, he put an arm around her and fell asleep.

End of Chapter

Holy piss, long-ass chapter of DOOM! That was fun to write, though. Don't forget to review, everybody!


	13. Chapter 13: Call to Arms

Chapter 13: Call to Arms

Cid Highwind awoke the next morning to the sunlight shining through the haphazard blinds and emitting a ray of golden light on the pillow next to him. The blood red digits of her alarm clock read seven fifty-three.

Tifa was gone, but he could swear he heard a faint sizzling sound from the open bedroom door. Blinking the last remnants of fatigue out of his eyes, Cid swung his legs out of the soft bed, taking a moment to smile. The bed was still rumpled from their nocturnal occupation, and the remnants of clothing from last night's flurry of passion were still in place.

Tiptoeing into the bathroom, Cid retrieved his boxers and pants and crept into the living room after helping himself to a bit of Tifa's mouthwash.

The layout of Tifa's apartment had the living room connect to the kitchen, which housed its sole inhabitant standing over the stove.

She wore a loose, and comfortable-looking gray shirt and black briefs as she hummed contentedly cooking over the stove. Cid watched the steps he took, careful not to make any noise. Once he was close enough, he wrapped his strong arms around Tifa's middle. She started slightly, but smiled when she felt his soft embrace.

Tifa turned her head to face Cid, and kissed him gently. "Good morning." She said, smiling.

"Morning yerself." Cid said. "Sleep okay?"

"Mm-hmm." Tifa nodded. "You?"

Cid grinned. "Next to you, who wouldn't?" He said. Tifa rolled her eyes ever so slightly, but her smile never faltered. "Smells good, girl."

"Well, I had a whole romantic breakfast in bed thing planned, but I guess that's not gonna work out now." Tifa said, mocking disappointment.

"Well, isn't that my job?" Cid said, waggling his eyebrows. "I'm supposed to amaze you with the finest breakfast I'm capable of making when you're in bed?"

"Well, I wanted to do this for you." Tifa said, softly. Her eyes were bright with the smile she wore. The stainless steel kettle on the opposite burner had begun to whistle and she attended to it, pouring the water into a nearby teapot.

Noticing that Cid was craning his neck over her shoulder to check on what the small label dangling out of the teapot read, Tifa said "It's Vanilla Almond. I got it long time ago in Kalm."

Cid looked Tifa right in the eye. He remembered he had a healthy supply of that same variety back home in Rocket Town and he had been rather fond of it. "I don't deserve you..." He said, before planting a small but passionate kiss on Tifa's full lips.

"Of course you do." Tifa said, smiling. "You've been so good to me, Cid. And last night, everything about it was just fantastic. I would never have expected anything like that from you."

Cid's gruff humor began to make a return appearance as he said warningly "Tell a soul and I'll…"

"I know, hon." Tifa said with a knowing smile. "You've got a reputation to think about. Excuse me,"

She maneuvered out of Cid's grasp, dividing the eggs between two waiting plates, complete with buttered rye toast and crisp bacon. Cid took the steeping teapot and a couple of mugs, setting them on the table, flanking the basic placemats Tifa had laid out in advance.

The conversation over breakfast flowed just as naturally as it had the night before. Cid told her about a friend of his when he was in the Shinra Air Force, and the terrible pranks they used to pull on each other and the base personnel. Tifa listened intently, laughing at just how outrageous her lover's exploits were.

As Tifa got up to clear the empty plates and fetch more tea, Cid stood up and kissed her gently. Setting the plates down on the table, she put her arms around Cid's broad shoulders and leaned into him.

When they broke apart, Cid smiled down at her. "That was great, hon. Thank you."

"No problem." Tifa said, retrieving the dishes. "I like cooking. And it's even nicer to have someone around to enjoy it with."

Cid grinned in return and collected what was left on the table. It wouldn't go well to let her do all the work while he just sat about.

Cid was indeed right in his assumption. After he set the mugs down on the counter Tifa gave him a wide eyed glance of surprise. "What is it?" Cid asked.

"Nobody's ever helped me by cleaning up afterwards." Tifa said, shaking her head. "Thank you."

"It's like I told ya, girl." Cid said, grinning. "I'm full of surprises." He gathered her in his arms, drawing her close.

In accordance with Cid mentioning surprises, the phone chose that moment to ring. With a great amount of effort and regret, Tifa pulled herself from Cid's embrace and picked up the phone, answering with a polite "Hello?"

Cid couldn't help but notice her expression change from relaxed and carefree to taut and concerned, the same way she did whenever a fight was to be had. "All right then. We'll be there." She hung up and turned to Cid. "That was Reeve. We've got a lead one of our targets."

Cid nodded quickly, feeling a rush of adrenaline that sent him running for his clothes. Tifa also grabbed a small bag of gear she had prepared the night before after dressing quickly. Rumpled and wrinkled as their clothes were, they were out the door in ten minutes.

---

_Highwind _was back in the air within the hour, with the Kalm party aboard in another hour. Now, she was underway at her top safe cruising speed for the WRO headquarters.

Cid stood dutifully at the helm of his ship, various WRO-issued technicians manning her secondary stations.

If a casual observer of the party's previous exploits had been there to see it, they would have had a severe case of deja-vu. Everyone had inhabited their old preferred positions on the bridge, with on exception.

Instead of taking her old position on the prow with Cloud, Tifa resided closer to the helm. It was a small change, but it was enough to unnerve a certain someone who had been AWOL for the past year or so.

Cid would have noticed such a change in Cloud's behavior, even if he wasn't so good at reading people. The sword-wielding chocobo head wasn't exactly subtle about such things.

However, there was another emotion floating about that made the setting unnatural; the bridge was full of quiet, anxious, uncomfortable tension. It wasn't so before, but now, it was indeed a very tense atmosphere. Cid had half a mind to see if he would punch a couple of holes through the tension with his spear, see if it would make a difference.

If asked what was bothering them, each of them would have said it was the mission they were partaking in. None of them knew what to expect from such volatile and unpredictable subjects, but that wasn't the heart of the matter.

The real reason for the tense atmosphere was Cloud. Ever since he had emerged from the Lifestream, his presence had become almost foreign, and the situation with Tifa that everyone knew about only made matters worse.

As the airship passed over the first mountain range on their course, Tifa left for the operations room. After she left, Cid lit a cigarette, complimenting himself on his restraint and for not wanting to blow smoke in her face.

In his shrewd, eagle-like manner, Cid noticed that Cloud had left the bridge as well. The gut feeling Cid had relied on all these years to save his life now told him that Cloud needed to know the way the playing field was leveled. He ordered one of the crew to take over on the helm and left via the maintenance corridor beside the main staircase.

One of the traits required for command of an airship was to know the ship in question. Every weld, every rivet, ever strength, every weakness. Cid's vast knowledge of the _Highwind _told him that the maintenance corridor he was traversing intersected with the main hall. If he hurried, he would cut Cloud off just before his reaching the operations room.

---

Cloud Strife was still questioning himself on whether he was doing the right thing. But this had to be done, there was no two ways about it. He couldn't stand this anymore, the weight on his conscience had become simply unbearable.

_It's just a small cut, that's it. Don't drag it out anymore. Sure it hurts, but just get it over with, and you'll be fine._

No sooner than he had placed a hand on the doorknob to the ops room did a gloved hand materialize out of nowhere, blocking his entry.

Cloud was even more surprised to find the arm connected to Cid Highwind, murder written all over his face. He had only seen the pilot this angry when something dear to him, like his planes or his rocket was threatened. And he knew that things tended to break when such moods struck Cid.

Cloud voiced his confusion and surprise with a "What the hell, Cid?"

Cid's tone took no prisoners and gave him the feeling that Cid was ten feet tall and invulnerable. "If you hurt her, Strife, you so much as make her cry, then so help me. I'll break every bone in yer goddamned bony body, you got that?"

"The hell is it to you, Highwind?" Cloud sneered, trying to contain the shock and mild fear he felt. Cid was slightly taller than he, and somewhat lanky, but they had fought alongside each other. Cloud was well aware of just how much damage Cid was capable of causing if enraged. Right now, weakness was something he dared not show. "What business is it of yours?"

"I don't gotta explain myself to the likes of you." Cid snarled back, stabbing a finger at Cloud. "Just mind yerself and make sure she's not hurtin'. Or YOU will be, you mark my words, boy."

And without another word, Cid stalked off back to the bridge. Cloud blinked once, unsure of what to make of the maelstrom of hostility he had just experienced. Sure, he and Cid were never really close friends, but they had never been enemies either.

Not without hesitation, Cloud decided to file the incident away in the weird happenstance folder, sucked in a deep breath and stepped into the operations room. At least it was some comfort to know that it didn't matter what Cid would do, it was nothing compared to Tifa's wrath.

The door hissing open alerted Tifa, who was engrossed with organizing a small case of materia. Her face visibly tightened, but she kept her neutral expression. She nodded gently and went back to her materia. Cloud returned the gesture and slipped into a chair opposite her, not saying a word.

Finally after a few minutes, Tifa broke the awkward silence by saying, "Well, how've you been, Cloud?"

Cloud gave a small shrug. "All right, I guess. Just a … little nervous about this little camping trip."

Tifa nodded silently, tight-lipped. His weak attempt at a witticism was just as awkward, empty and meaningless as it had sounded.

Cloud let out a heavy sigh and said softly "Look Tifa, I'm… I know this isn't exactly the most comfortable thing for you right now. You know, I'd be lying if I said I was enjoying this. I just… I wish I could do something to make it all right."

Tifa let out a barely audible scoff. "Wishing for something doesn't make it so." She said, her voice laced with bitterness. Or was it regret? Cloud couldn't put his finger on it precisely.

"Look, Tif…" Cloud began, pretending he didn't see her wince when he called her by her old pet name. "I came down here to apologize. You… you really didn't need to see what you did."

Tifa's lips pressed tightly together, almost forming a white line of a grimace. Cloud averted his gaze, for fear she would begin crying. She gave a shaky nod, and said softly. "You … saw an opportunity to be happy and you took it."

_Damn her, she's trying so hard to understand. Damn and bless her…_ Cloud began again, but Tifa promptly cut him off.

"Cloud, I don't want to hear it!" Cloud had expected an explosion of emotion from her, but nothing of this particular brilliance. She made a motion to leave, but Cloud's hand shot out. He held hers fast, despite her efforts to pull away.

Forcing himself to look at her, Cloud began again. "Tifa, I still care about you, but she…"

Tifa straightened, her expression decidedly sober. She looked Cloud right in the eye - the absence of any sign of tears disturbed him - and she said the words he couldn't bring himself to say. "You love her."

Cloud took his turn to avert her gaze, releasing his grip. He felt lost, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to say it because of her feelings, but he couldn't deny it either. All he could do was offer a pathetic "I'm sorry." and it fell flat on its face the moment the words left his lips.

Grasping at straws, Cloud continued in his tirade. "I know you're hurting, For what it's worth, I'll still be there for you. But you need to see that…"

Tifa harshly shrugged his hand off and glared daggers at him. Then, she said something that Cloud did not expect. He had expected there to be a messy, emotional scene that involved the tears that always seemed to be brimming whenever he was around, but she had a sense of strength and defiance that Cloud had never seen. To be honest, he was kind of frightened by it.

"Cloud," Tifa said, firmly. "Did you really think that I'd wait for you my whole life?"

Cloud blinked and recoiled, failing to conceal his surprise. "I don't get it, what re you…"

"There's someone else, Cloud." Tifa said, her tone icy. "You have Aerith, and I have who I've chosen. You of all people should appreciate this."

The room seemed to spin. Cloud felt like he was falling backwards without moving. He grasped for a chair, barely able to sink into it so as to avoid unceremoniously collapsing onto the deck.

It was the last thing Cloud had expected. Tifa had been there all his life, always the constant, always somehow available, but somehow inaccessible. Now, it felt as if the comfortable rug he had been so content to rest upon for so long -and to varying degrees, had taken for granted - had now been violently pulled away, leaving him reeling and disoriented.

"There's…" Cloud said, trying to get the idea cemented into his head.

"Is that really so hard to believe that someone else might want me?" Tifa said, sounding slightly hurt.

"Look, Tif…" Cloud said. "I don't think you're thinking straight about this. I think you're on the fast track to getting yourself hurt. This is… too soon for you."

In retrospect, Cloud would have preferred to look an enraged Bahamut in the maw at point-blank range. Tifa didn't take his concern in the manner he had hoped.

"Just who the hell do you think you are, deciding what's best for me and what's not?" Tifa shouted, the pure rage in her voice causing Cloud to wince. "I've waited more than four years for this, so don't you dare call me hasty!"

"Nobody knows you like I do!" Cloud protested. To be honest, it sounded a lot more pathetic when he said it out loud, but there had to be some handhold, some advantage he could use. "I have no way of knowing that he's -if this person is a he - is going to treat you the way you should be- -"

"Let's get one thing crystal clear." Tifa said, her tone quickly turning venomous. "You are no expert on me. And finding out new things about someone you care for is what being in a relationship like this is all about."

"I-" Cloud began, but realized he was fighting a losing battle. His shoulders slumped, the crushing defeat finally setting in. "I guess…. I just want to know that you'll be okay."

"You don't have to worry about me." Tifa said. "I'll be just fine. Besides, if things go sour, I have friends. You and I both know how protective Barret is. Come what may, I can handle it."

Cloud nodded sullenly, not knowing exactly what to say. After a long, awkward silence, he finally managed to say weakly "Well, can I at least know who it is?"

Tifa nodded in the same slow, hesitant fashion. Her tone considerably softer than her previous deliberations, she said "It's Cid, Cloud."

The mere though of Cid and Tifa together gave Cloud an incredible shock. Just as he was about to declare how absurd and unnatural it was, the pieces seemed to fit together and intertwine and make sense in his mind. Why she had stood next to him, why they seemed so much brighter than they had the last time he had seen either of them.

And it explained Cid's borderline insane behavior in the corridor. The pilot's gruff words came back to haunt him, with the painful logic they had now presented.

_You so much as make her cry, then so help me. I'll break every bone in yer goddamned bony body, you got that?_

As much as Cloud hated to admit it, he had to say that Cid Highwind was nothing if not protective of what was his. Be it his airships, his goggles and flight suit. Or even Tifa's heart.

Part of the reason Cloud was alive today was by knowing which battles that couldn't be won. This was a prime example of one.

"Well, if you're up for talking later, you know where to find me." Tifa said, leaving Cloud alone with his thoughts.

The sweet victory that Cloud had felt at finding Aerith again had now turned sour. He felt alone, adrift without the anchor that held him fast for the past few years.

Cloud heaved out a sigh, and rose to leave. He opted to bury himself in his work, trying to forget about what just happened.

---

Making the trip from Kalm to the southern mountain range in record time, _Highwind _touched down on the WRO's rainy landing pad. Men in yellow windbreakers ran about the landing strip, refueling the airship and other such tasks while battling the sheets of ice water that poured down on them.

The party filed out of the main gangplank, countering the high-velocity rain with emergency yellow parkas - Yuffie had one ready, which looked disturbingly similar to one that went missing four years ago.

Reeve met the party in a small glass wind shelter by the airstrip, worry stitched across his heavy set brow. The Turks were standing at military ease behind him, waiting for the mission to start. Wasting no time, he launched into the briefing as soon as everyone had gathered.

"Our technicians are loading the cargo bays with the necessary equipment and supplies that will be vital to the success of this mission." Reeve said, his voice gravelly. Dark blotches had appeared under his eyes and the lines on his face seemed more pronounced. This looked like a man of fifty or so years, nothing like the charismatic, upbeat WRO chairman everyone knew. The only logical explanation was that he hadn't slept well or not at all in the last few days. And boy, did it show.

The man was a hard worker, and that made Cid a little guilty. Here, Reeve had a responsibility to the world, and carried all its weight on his shoulders, while he and Tifa went off and took a brief period of shore leave. But to be honest, it only made Cid a _little_ guilty.

"What are we taking aboard?" Cid asked, setting a lit cigarette in an available ashtray.

"Emergency supplies for survival and shelter, as well as additional weapons and materia." Reeve nodded to the tentative allies behind him. "Our… guests have provided themselves with their own weapons and materia. Which reminds me, we have retrieved a cache of materia the majority of you have recovered over the years. All that is required is a brief stopover in Wutai to collect it."

"You're all welcome!" Yuffie waved.

Barret snickered. "This has gotta be a first! She's actually giving out the materia this time!"

This roused a laugh from just about everyone, save for the ninja, who folded her arms and pouted.

"We also have a plan for containing the tainted cells in our targets." Reeve continued and gestured below the line of sight of the table.

Cait Sith hopped up on the simple titanium table and produced a small electronic device from a bag he had slung over his back. Two cylinders flanked a small rectangular body, and totaled in a size about equivalent to the housecat's chest.

"Our engineering crews have been able to scale down the containment nodes that were used in Mideel, as well as reinforce the confinement field." The miniature robotic cat explained.

"So that we can actually contain the renegade cells from each of the targets." Cloud said. His speech was a little rushed and his gestures animated, as if he were trying to interest himself in any particular subject, almost to the point of obsession.

Tifa knew exactly what he was doing, trying to cover the sting of their prior conversation by burying himself in work. And evidently Cid had picked up on this less-than-subtle behavioral pattern. She picked up on the gruff harrumph that only the pilot could produce.

"Cait Sith will be joining you." Reeve said. "I'll be staying behind as an advisor." He let out a small laugh, that seemed to take a year or so off his face. "Someone has to keep the gears of life turning."

"Fine." Cid said, stabbing out the small butt of his expended smoke. "What's the game plan, Reeve?"

"We've received a partial message from our WRO station near Modeoheim." Reeve said. "It was barely readable, but it was on a distress channel. One of the sounds our acoustic specialists have been able to identify in the background are gunshots."

Reeve called up a chart on a small monitor behind him. On it were two different sound splices, identified by similar vertical lines, varying in height. These were as individual to each sound as fingerprints were to humans.

"This one up top," Reeve pointed to the topmost sound display. "Is a shot used by standard WRO ammunition, from our standard issue weapon. The one below, from what our forensic analysts tell us, is of a different caliber, as if it were a custom-made, high caliber handgun. We've been able to extrapolate it out to be fired from a .52 caliber handgun."

"That's a special Shinra-made round, isn't it?" Red stated, thoughtfully.

"It is." Tseng said, stepping forward. "It was supposed to be issued to top SOLDIER weapons. And only one of our targets is known for his prowess with firearms. Yazoo."

It was then that one of the technicians entered the shelter, wind beaten and soaked. "Commissioner, loading has been completed."

"Good." Cloud said. "Let's go."

"Best of luck to all of you." Reeve said and the party of twelve left for the _Highwind._ In a matter of minutes, her main engines came online and she rose into the rain, speeding away from the mountain range to the far span of the eastern ocean.

---

The trip to the Wutai capital took a grand total of eight hours, where Yuffie, despite her past misgivings, was as good as her word. The entire team was welcomed to stay the night in the government house owned by Godo Kisaragi. It was there that the materia was delivered to the ship, stored in the ships armory.

The guest quarters in the Kisaragi estate were prepared for the _Highwind_'s company and crew for a brief layover. After everyone had been fed, watered and left to their own devices for the evening, Godo pulled his daughter aside.

Godo's own quarters were somewhat modest, but still adorned with various homely touches, such as various banners and books, even a display _katana _over Godo's cot.

He and Yuffie sat on one of the purple mats, the room lit with candle light. They had both assumed a lotus sitting posture, as Godo poured rations of tea out for both of them.

"You have done well, young one." He said in his low, diplomatic tones. "In the position of both _tousan _and _sensei, _you have exceeded my expectations."

Yuffie nodded modestly, with a soft "_Arigato_." She accepted her tea and drank it slowly with both hands.

"You have proven yourself various times, but now you and your compatriots are being faced with the order of saving this world again." Godo said. "You have earned what I am about to bestow upon you."

Godo rose up and retrieved a large, but thin black box from his dresser drawer. Handing it to Yuffie, he bowed gently.

Holding it with her cat-like curiosity, she opened it gently, not disturbing the shimmering black material. Removing the light tissue paper, she marveled at the magnificent, oversized four-point shuriken that was inside. She held it aloft, impressed by the black sheen of the grip, the eight materia slots, and the sharp blades.

"This is the Ninji Flashbang that I have kept in my care for generations." Godo said, more than a hint of pride in his voice. "It was used by the Shinigami Protectors of five hundred years ago, and its magic is formidable. And I feel that you are ready for an honor such as this. Take care of it, my daughter, and it shall take care of you."

"Dad, I -" Yuffie began, but bit back her tongue. There was but one answer she should give, and her father's piercing gaze reminded her of that fact. "Of course."

Godo smiled, a rare but brilliant occurrence. One that elicited a very similar reaction from Yuffie.

---

The informal dinner that was held in the party's honor went smoothly. After being fed and watered - with both beverages spirituous and otherwise - the members began to disperse after the exhausting day of travel.

Cloud was the first to leave, rising unceremoniously after the plates had been cleared away. Barret and Red followed suit, after bidding the rest of the party good night. The Turks all left at the same time, almost in military formation. Eventually the room filtered out until only two remained, the only two who really craved each other's company.

Sleepily, almost lazily, Tifa rose from the small table. She nestled close to Cid, who drained the last of the tumbler of _sake_ and put an arm about her.

"You doing OK, Captain?" She asked, smiling gently at him.

"Oh, yeah." Cid said, stifling a yawn into a bent elbow. "Ate enough for eight of me."

"I know the feeling." Tifa grinned. "The rice really seems to creep up on you out here. What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"Well, I think we can get up to Modeoheim in good time if we leave early enough." Cid said. "I can land my old girl down close enough for us to be in close by for a quick escape, if we need it."

He stretched animatedly, and rose. "Well, that's it for me, girl. I'm gonna go get some sleep." He let one of those wicked grins loose again. "Yanno, it's an old tradition that the Captain's woman is to share the captains quarters."

"Oh?" Tifa said, going along with his suggestion and pressing herself against the pilot. "And just where is that tradition written? Or did you just make it up?"

Cid let out a defeated laugh. "I'm that obvious with you, am I?"

"Mm-hmm." Tifa nodded. Her magnificent smile widened as she snaked her arms around Cid's neck. "Not that I'm objecting, of course."

She kissed him gently, but the passion increased as Cid's hands roamed over her back. When they broke apart, Cid scooped Tifa up into his arms, and said "Who am I to argue with tradition?"

When they finally did lay down, lips locked, Cid marveled at the beautiful woman lying next to him. Their eyes met, and Cid brushed her hair back out of her face. They undressed for bed, leaving only the most basic of garments on to combat the early spring Wutai heat.

After some deliberation and thinking, Cid chanced the question that had been plaguing his mind. "Girl, I'm sorry, but I gotta ask. Just what the hell happened with Cloud?"

Tifa bit her lip, but she said evenly, "He knows about us, and I made it clear that I have no intention of leaving you for him. Why do you ask?"

"Because I had a word with him before you saw him." Cid said. He let out s mall laugh. "Think I scared him a bit, truth be told."

"Why?" Tifa said, her eyes narrowing skeptically. "What did you tell him?"

"Oh," Cid said offhandedly. "Just something about breaking every bone in his body if he so much as made you cry."

"Cid!" Tifa scolded, her expression one of shock.

"What?" Cid countered. "I'm protective of ya, you know that. I can't exactly change that with the wave of a magic wand, hey."

Tifa shook her head, trying not to smile. And failing miserably. "Cid Highwind, what am I going to do with you?"

"Not change me for anything?" Cid said, a wide grin on his face. He managed to wean a full fledged smile out of Tifa, and was satisfied. "Seriously though, hon. Where do the two of you stand? I hate taking flak from a crossfire like this, but…"

"It's fine, Cid." Tifa said, putting a finger on his lips, so as to assure him that it was all right. "He knows where I stand. If he tries to come between us, I'll knock him flat on his ass. We've both worked and waited too hard for this to be screwed up."

Cid met her eyes and returned the smile. "Okay, hon." He placed a hand on the back of her neck, drawing her forehead closer until it was close enough to place a gentle kiss right below her hairline. "I trust you."

Tifa nuzzled her head onto Cid's right shoulder, allowing his to fully accept the smell of her hair. Feeling the steadiness of her pulse and breath, the regularity of it created a comfortable lull in which he gradually faded to a blissful sleep.

End of Chapter


	14. Chapter 14: The Deserted Village

Chapter 14: The Deserted Village

Cid Highwind awoke early, as he usually did. Military training did not allow much room for sloth and oversleeping, one thing that Cid prided himself on. The sky outside was a light blue, the prime indicator that dawn was fast approaching.

Careful not to disturb the dark haired beauty lying next to him, he rose quietly and stepped into the adjoining bathroom for a wake-up shower. After he had done so, he pulled his clothes back on and stepped outside to enjoy the sunrise with a cigarette.

The sun came up bright over the western mountain range, the fantastic blue light shining onto the small patio of Godo's estate. The bright yellow of the sun began to peek over the mountains, casting pink onto the undersides of the few clouds in the sky.

One of the reasons Cid looked over the past ten years of his life as some of the best of his life - the failed rocket launch, getting caught up in saving the world, (going onto the third time now) and adventuring around the world like a quest of olden times - was seeing the wonders of the world that the human race inhabited. The people were a reason for doing what he did, but seeing the wonders of the physical world.

The Da-Chao mountain range here in Wutai, the rock formations of Cosmo Canyon, the Glacial caves of Gaea's Cliff, even the rolling plains of the Midgar grasslands, these sights provided hope and wonder for Cid, and men who had traveled the planet long before him.

The only thing better than experiencing the miracles this world had to offer was spending it with someone special.

No sooner than the thought occurred to Cid did he feel a gentle kiss at the base of his neck. Smiling, he turned and his lips met with Tifa's.

When they broke apart, she sat down next to him, enjoying the warm sunlight that contrasted the wisps of fog that would soon vanish as the sun gained altitude.

Time seemed to stand still as the two lovers basked in the early morning sunrise. Nothing needed to be said, nothing needed to be worried about.

Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men never pan out according to plan. As the sun began to rise higher and higher, sounds began to rise from the other rooms all over Godo's estate. They rose quietly, heading back inside.

"How'd you know where to find me, girl?" Cid finally asked as they worked together to restore the room to the condition they found it in.

"Well, the bed got kind of lonely without you." Tifa smiled back. "And it's a beautiful morning out there. I thought you might be outside."

"Make sense." Cid responded with a half-shrug. He brought Tifa in for a brief kiss and went back to straightening the small room up.

---

After paying their respects and giving thanks for the temporary lodging, the crew returned to the _Highwind,_ which was in the air within an hour.

The journey towards the small Northern Continent was a lengthy one, passing over the Rocket Town site and the Nibel mountain range.

After passing over small cluster of islands to the north of the Eastern Continent, the party was sitting idle about the airship. The Turk party had taken to preparing their weapons and equipment with most of the party, while Cid, Tifa and Red remained on the bridge with a small crew of WRO technicians that kept the airship running.

_Highwind_ was just passing over a small, uninhabited island that would have made for a nice summer resort when a small warning light lit up on the Master Systems Display.

Cid flicked the autopilot on, and left his post to inspect the large brown readout that stretched out over the entire aft bulkhead of the bridge.

"Looks to be a slight deviation off prime in the fuel intermix chamber." One of the crewmen said, tracing the power flow line.

"Bypass to secondary systems." Cid ordered, curtly. "Before we blow the entire power grid."

"Done." The crewman said. "We only have a 0.2 percent loss in power."

Cid nodded. "I'm going down to fix it." He said. Before the crewman could speak up to object, he said "I want this fixed my way. I'm not letting anyone else poke around my engines. She's my baby, it's my responsibility."

Cid took a small tool kit out of a compartment that was stationed inside a bulkhead near the helm. Without any hesitation, he left the bridge. But not before he cast a small gaze over at Tifa, leaning over the forward bridge rail to see the landscape rushing beneath them.

The journey to the fuel intermix compartment was a short one. It was surrounded by large fuel conduits and gauges that reminded him of a brewery. Effectively, it was something of a brewing facility. Raw fuel was mixed with kerosene and other additives that would ultimately result in the most efficient fuel for the _Highwind_'s power supply. Cid liked to keep the kerosene level a little richer than norm that allowed for the fuel to last longer.

Normally, this chamber was a large blender, mixing everything together. A small deviation was acceptable, up to five percent. After that, there was a very serious danger of friction from the various moving parts igniting the ingredients and destroying the entire airship.

Right now, the chamber had been completely evacuated and bone dry, as the fuel was bypassed and being mixed in a secondary chamber that had only been used twice and was in perfect working order.

Cid unlocked the magnetic seal around the small circular appendage and opened the service duct. After clamping off the surrounding conduits for a diagnostic cycle, he ran a small amount of inert fluid through the intermix chamber.

There. The problem was in the primary and secondary kerosene injectors. These would insert a predetermined amount of kerosene into the fuel mix, and they had accumulated a buildup of minerals that were blocking some of the kerosene from getting through.

Cid took a small screwdriver from his tool kit and began to remove the first injector for cleaning when a terrific blow came from behind, hitting him right at the base of his neck. As pain blinded him, he felt himself being thrown against a bulkhead where he collapsed to the floor, losing consciousness.

---

One of the little things that made Cid ultimately human was his forgetfulness when he had his mind on something.

Tifa was the first to notice the distinct whistle of the kettle Cid had put on the hot plate five minutes before the systems alert went off. She sighed and took it off, taking a moment to shake her head before taking a small teabag out of a compartment she noticed five years ago. It struck her as clever when it was installed, and found it typical of her lover now.

After capping off the stainless steel thermos, she left the bridge with a small smile on her face.

This was a wonderful feeling that had sparked a spring in Tifa's step, putting a stupid, inexplicable smile on her face. This must be what love feels like. It felt… well, good.

So good in fact, that she would up by the Chocobo stable before she knew what exactly was going on. The fuel intermix chamber was two sections behind her.

Laughing to herself, she half-skipped to the engineering section and opened the hatch to the fuel intermix room.

And saw a tall, silver haired man in a leather bodysuit, standing over a part of machinery. And Cid was lying next to him, a large gash in the side of his head.

She covered the distance between the in two large strides and delivered the end of the thermos into the back of Yazoo's neck, using the small second of stunning force to her advantage. She took ahold of his shoulders and rammed the top of his head against the bulkhead.

Yazoo buckled underneath her, but took one of what Cid would have called "his long, alien, garbage scoopin' arms" and took ahold of Tifa's right knee and destabilized her balance.

She hit the deck hard, barely able to absorb the impact through advanced training. Before the form-fitting boot stomped on her face, she rolled out of the way and launched herself back onto her feet. Yazoo drew his handgun, Tifa taking ahold of his gun hand and driving her elbow into his chin, separating the gun from his hand and taking it out of the equation.

The cold green eyes stared back to Tifa, the same doll-like face that Tifa remembered and to be honest, the resemblance scared the hell out of her. The cold emeralds bored into her, reminding her that she was alone. There was no opportunity to call form help, not without giving him a chance to put a bullet in her. And she couldn't rely on Cid for help, she didn't know how badly he'd been hurt.

Yazoo came in for a quick one-two punch, but Tifa blocked his first move, and delivered a solid right hook to his face. He recoiled, but something was decidedly wrong. He hadn't emitted a sound, not even a gasp of pain. Yazoo had a record of being neutral and devoid of emotion, but this was starting to get rather disturbing.

After another block, Tifa kicked a leg out from under him and caught him in a tight stranglehold. Yazoo's fists battered about her, but she only held on tighter. Grasping at straws, Yazoo's hands went around Tifa's neck, quickly cutting off her supply of oxygen.

The strain of holding Yazoo's weight and keeping his immobile began to take its toll on Tifa. Her lungs were ablaze, screaming for air. And it kept on getting harder and harder to hold on. How much time had gone by? A minute? Two? How long before she lost consciousness? How long before the onset of brain damage? Each second seemed like an eternity without air.

In this breathless game of chicken, Tifa was the first to give in. Releasing her hold on Yazoo, she reformed her hands into two flat-ended extensions, and brought them down as hard as she could into Yazoo's sides, just below his ribcage.

Yazoo buckled again, releasing his grip for a critical moment. Tifa knocked his arms upward, and punched him back, delivering her full weight into her left handed blow.

Yazoo's head knocked against the fuel conduits, blood flowing freely from his newly broken nose. Not wasting time, Tifa grabbed ahold of Yazoo, knocking him back against the wall of conduits and pipes, kneeing him in the sternum right after. As he doubled over, Tifa delivered her right elbow to the back of Yazoo's head, sending him to the floor.

This however, proved to be a bad mistake, for when Yazoo returned to his feet, his pistol had returned to his hand. Tifa caught his gun hand before he could bring the pistol to bear, struggling for control.

Tifa tried to head butt and stun Yazoo, but found the move reversed on her. She lost her balance and fell to the deck.

In retrospect, Tifa was almost ready to believe in miracles. Before Yazoo could pull the trigger, Cid sprang up from behind and locked Yazoo in a brutal headlock, his hands positioned correctly to kill him.

"You pull that trigger, I'll rip yer head off!" He hissed.

Still silent, but wearing a small smile, Yazoo lowered the gun and dissolved in Cid's hands.

The pilot stumbled forward, looking around in confusion. After ascertaining that Yazoo was gone, Cid knelt down beside Tifa. "You okay, angel?" He asked, extending a hand to help her back to a sitting position.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tifa said, brushing a stray hair out of her face. "Seriously, I'm okay."

Cid nodded and went to the nearest intercom panel. "General quarters, red alert. Possible intruder aboard!"

After cleaning the small room of what had happened, - and making a mental note to finish cleaning the kerosene injectors - Cid led the way back up to the bridge.

Ignoring the questions of what happened, Cid went straight for the master control console. "Let's get a search going, I wanna know how the hell that bastard got on board!"

"All hatches report secure." One of the technicians reported. "Nobody got in that way."

"Could he have been hiding aboard all this time?" Tifa asked, the Cure materia she had out healing the abrasions in her fair skin.

"If he did, how the hell did he get off the ship?" Cid's gaze never left the large readout.

Cloud stood up from his position near the bow. "Is anyone going to tell us what the hell just happened?"

"We just had a nice visit from Kazoo down in the engineering section while I was makin' my repairs." Cid snarled, his full attention on this search for the mysterious intruder. "Nearly did Tif an' me in. Then he just vanished into thin air."

"Vanished" Yuffie asked. "How?"

"Like I say, just plain vanished." Cid diverted his gaze to Yuffie for a brief moment, his irritation evident. "Bastard didn't even say a thing."

"Internal sensors aren't picking up anyone else aboard." Another Technician reported. "Sensor logs don't show that anyone else was ever aboard since we left Wutai."

"Then what the hell were we fighting?" Cid snapped. "A ghost?! Ain't no such thing!"

"Mime." Yuffie said simply, nodding her head slowly.

"Come again?" Cid said, his frustration starting to ebb away.

"Mime materia." Yuffie said. "You guys remember Mime materia, right?"

"Yeah," Cloud said. "It mimics an action that someone else makes. Casts the same spell as they do, that kind of thing, right?"

"Yup." Yuffie said. "It's possible to project yourself with Mime materia, kind of like a decoy. It'd have to be a pretty high-level orb to have this kind of effect, but it wouldn't show up on scans."

"Because there's nothing there to detect." One of the technicians piped up. "Just an image that has all the capabilities of the subject. Effectively, Mime can let the user be in two places at once."

"Right!" Yuffie said. "I didn't know you knew so much about materia."

The technician blushed. "It's… kind of a hobby of mine." He said, self-consciously.

"Well, now we know the how." Red said, resting on the deck from his action stance. "But why? Cid, how critical were your repairs?"

Cid lit up a cigarette to calm himself before he answered. "They weren't incredibly important, but if I didn't do 'em in say, a week of engine use, the ship could've blown up."

"And could someone sabotage the ship from where you were working?" Red asked, tilting his head the way he did when he was deep in thought.

"Yeah, and pass it off as a maintenance accident." Cid said, shaking his head. "Woulda been easy, too. Damn, but that was too close!"

"Well, we got the how and why." Barret said. "Hows about makin' up some kind of defense?"

"Any ideas, geniuses?" Cid asked Yuffie and the technician.

"Nothing comes to mind." Yuffie said. "We should caucus about this. We'll get back to you."

"Fine." Cloud said. "In the meantime, we should get to Modeoheim as quick as we can before we're attacked again."

"Agreed." Cid said. "I can squeeze a little more out of these beauties. Hang on, everybody! We're gonna fly!"

---

Modeoheim was originally a small village, erected by Shinra workers as a base of operations for a planned Mako reactor nearby. As the weather took a turn for the worse, however and as the Mako became too expensive to effectively extricate from the polar region, it was abandoned and adopted by people from the nearby Icicle Inn.

It had become a fishing village, and a travel stop for the winter sports events that would visit the Northern Continent every so often. It had reached a modest population, that was augmented by the small WRO research outpost.

_Highwind_ set down about two kilometers away from the town site, the company disembarking in full winter gear. Although the weather was getting steadily warmer, it was still well below zero in the Northern Wastes.

Everyone checked over their equipment, consisting of various forms of materia, a collection of weapons each of them were familiar with, and various other bits and pieces. Most notably were the pink ribbons they each carried, endowed with special properties that would ward off almost all negative effects, such as poisoning, blindness and so forth.

A menacing swirl of dark clouds on the horizon signaled the onset of unpleasant weather. Most likely a heavy snowfall for this time of year. A sharp burst of wind caused Tifa to pull her parka tighter around herself. When Cid touched her arm gently, she gave him a smile that generated more warmth than his flight jacket did.

Cloud evidently had his concerns about the weather as well. He stood in front of the assortment of his fellows and addressed them.

"We'll reach Modeoheim in about an hour if we keep a good pace, but that storm front doesn't look very neighborly. Let's get a move on."

"Wait." Red said, tossing his head once to the right. "What about the Turks?"

"We have our own arrangements." Tseng replied, curtly. "I'm familiar with this area, I've been here before."

"What do you suggest?" Cloud asked.

"A two-pronged attack." Tseng said, pulling a small PDA out of his jacket pocket. "My team will go over the mountain path to the left, while your team goes into town in a more direct approach."

"Flank him and catch him in a cross-fire." Cloud said, nodding. "All right. Let's go."

The two parties separated at the base of a mountain ahead, both setting a brisk pace. The overcast sky seemed to suck out the energy for conversation, for even Yuffie was silent for the walk as the wind started to whistle. Trudging through the snow slowed their progress slightly, but they were able to reach the village in good time.

It was around midday when the party had reached the town site, but the entire village was deserted. Some of the windows were boarded up, various bits of debris were strewn about the streets, but perhaps the most eerie part was the silence.

The party moved through the streets, all senses on alert for any sign of trouble. Yuffie shook her head and whispered "Where is everyone?"

As they arrived in the town square, the storm front was already beginning to move in.

Cloud let off an irritated sigh. "We're running out of time. Let's try for the inn. We might get some answers there."

After a few murmurs of agreement, the group moved off in the inn's direction. The wind began to pick up in speed, and the temperature seemed to drop another ten degrees.

The door had been boarded up, but a Deathblow shot from Barret, coupled with an Energy shot from Vincent blew the reinforced door open. It took out a large section of wall as well, but it still created an entrance for the team.

The lobby was dark and messy, with a few sinister blood stains on the wall. But the entry of the team roused a small scuffle from one of the adjacent rooms.

"Hello?" Cloud called. "Who's there?"

A soft, timid voice came from upstairs. "Are you here to make the monsters go away?"

Looks between the party were exchanged before Cloud answered "Yes. Can we see you?"

After a brief moment of silence, a young woman cautiously tiptoed down a nearby staircase. Her clothes were dirty and tattered, and she was skittish to the point of jumping at her own shadow.

"Hey, it's okay." Tifa stepped forward slowly, the maternal streak inside her showing. Her presence, soft voice and sincerity seemed to calm the frightened girl somewhat, for Tifa was able to take her by the hand and guide her down the rest of the way. "Tell us what happened."

The girl drew a ragged breath, sat down against a wood paneled wall and said "Two days ago, a strange man came through town. He rode on a big motorcycle and had long silver hair."

More looks were exchanged, as well as a soft curse uttered by Cid. This had to be Yazoo.

"He kept muttering to himself about his mother. And then, a few WRO men came from their outpost to try and arrest him, I think. That's when he lost it. He went completely ballistic and…"

She heaved out another ragged sigh and continued. "He made a gesture like he was… using materia, or something. He must have summoned something, because all these monsters came out, and they started killing people."

Cait Sith shook his head. "This doesn't sound good at all…" He whispered. Vincent nodded slowly. "Probably Shadow Creepers. I remember that they were fond of using them."

"I remember." Cloud said. "They used them in concert with a summon in Edge."

"Hell, those things weren't so tough." Barret snorted. "We'll take 'em all on, no problem."

"There are more important things than that." Tifa reprimanded and turned her attention back to the survivor. "Did anyone else make it?"

The girl nodded thoughtfully. "Some, maybe. But I don't know where they might be."

"Leave that to us." Cloud said, leaning down next to Tifa. Cid couldn't help but feel a slight pang of protectiveness about his proximity to her. "We'll take care of the monsters and they won't find you."

The girl didn't seem convinced. "Yes, they will! They're everywhere! They're here now…"

Without warning, one of the boarded up windows disintegrated into glass and wood splinters as one of the Shadow Creepers launched itself into the lobby.

Before it was finished roaring, Cerberus cracked and split the beast's reinforced cranium wide open, making it perform a kind of macabre back flip until it thumped upon the ground, rousing a cloud of dust.

The party hurtled out of the inn, Tifa staying behind a moment to urge the survivor to hide.

The town had suddenly become alive with the Shadow Creepers, seeming to blow in on the cold wind. They shrieked loudly, coming down on the party.

Weapons free orders were given and the team attacked with fighting skills, honed by years of experience.

As one of the creepers, made a move on Yuffie, she flipped backwards and threw her shiruken at her assailant. Landing gracefully, she raced toward the corpse to retrieve her weapon. She gave another beast a spin kick, retrieved the shiruken and finished the job with one of it's serrated blades.

"Didn't have anything worth stealing…" She muttered to herself.

Seeing another two flanking Barret from behind, one of the Flashbang's materia orbs glowed brightly. A brilliant electrical arc shout out, broad siding both of them and leaving them motionless in the snow.

Mere meters away, Vincent rolled sideways to avoid a fire blast from an Alpha Creeper and took cover behind an overturned table to reload. Returning to a standing position, he fired off another three shots, taking down two of the beasts. Behind him, a Creeper tried to get the drop on him. Vincent pivoted on his heel, swiped with his left claw and finished it off with a sharp spin kick.

He let out a soft "Hmph," and returned to the fight.

Cloud has leapt off of one of the shed roofs, intercepting one of the Creepers in mid-air. He cleaved it clean in half with the main body of First Tsurugi, using the body to launch himself higher. After taking care of another, he landed hard, dividing the impact over his spread-out legs.

Looking up to see another Creeper, he threw one of the sword pieces into the beast. It stuck itself well into the beast's shoulder, bringing it down. Cloud pulled the sword out, and reattached it to the main blade.

Four more of the Creepers were closing fast on him. Cloud heaved the Tsurugi blade back above his shoulder and brought it down hard onto the frozen ground.

A bright blue beam of energy shot out from the impact point, racing for the lead Creeper. The blast disintegrated the lead beast, diffusing into the other three. It wounded them, but didn't bring them down. A final Earth spell took them out, the explosion of the ground beneath them hurtling them into the air.

The terse chatter of Barret's gun arm was unmistakable over the screams and howls of the Shadow Creepers it dispatched. If ever one got too close for comfort, the big man was only too happy to take them down with a boot to the face, his physical strength augmented by the Touph ring he wore.

Red however, had no problem whatsoever with these animals. They were on even terms, save for the passenger he had riding between his powerful shoulders. He bit and snapped at the Creepers as he charged through them, Cait Sith firing off Manipulate spells that turned the Creepers against each other, or Confusion spells that made them easier targets to handle.

As one of the Creepers snapped out of it's Manipulation trance, Tifa delivered a vicious punch and kick combination to it, taking full advantage of its weakened state. As another snapped it's powerful jaws at her, she somersaulted backwards, her feet snapping it's head back like a ripe melon.

Cid's directive and objectives varied greatly then the others in the group: Protect himself and his. He stuck close to Tifa, deterring any of them from flanking her. The Partisan's three sharp prongs added a good amount of balance to the trusted weapon, allowing Cid to alternate between jabbing and using materia easily. The wide swath he cut in the enemy lines gave a large section of safety for both him and Tifa.

And in the lulls between attacks, it gave Cid an opportunity to keep his smoke lit, and to admire Tifa's elegant, well-practiced moves.

Snapping out of the distractive reverie, Cid noticed that another of the beasts had gotten wise to his up-close-and-personal approach, and let off a fire blast. Kicking off one of the nearby upturned crates, Cid launched himself in the air, somersaulted forward and brought the business end of the Partisan - augmented by his full weight - down on the wretched thing.

Cid wrenched his spear out of the carcass, took a drag from his smoke and called to Tifa "You okay, girl?"

Tifa delivered a final kick and grinned back "Set 'em up, and knock 'em down."

"Cover me!" Cloud shouted out, and ducked behind a wall. He brought his fist up to his mouth, and muttered into it.

"_In thy divine wisdom, deliver unto us thine Holy judgment."_

After finishing the oath, he extended his hand skyward, the fissure associated with a summon appeared in the dark sky. Out of it, emerged a large mechanical juggernaut. Bright beams of light shone down on the entire town, raining Holy magic down upon the town site. The creatures, composed of dark energy couldn't withstand it, and spontaneously combusted under the light magic.

After checking that the village was clear, the party took a moment to celebrate. Various survivors braved the weather to come out, to see that the monsters were gone.

After accepting generous amounts of thanks, Cloud asked "Did anyone of you see where the man who passed through here go?"

The answer was considerably more subdued, as nobody could give an appropriate answer. There were theories about how he might have traveled in all four of the Cardinal directions, but nothing concrete.

"We have discovered the direction he took." Tseng's silky baritone said behind them.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Barret boomed, lowering the gun arm he had raised in surprise.

"We intercepted a small amount of these things at the town limits, but you handled the situation well." Tseng said, matter-of-factly.

"Thanks for yer help, then…" Cid muttered ironically.

"We have determined that Yazoo has proceeded north, towards the old reactor site." Tseng continued, ignoring Cid's remark if he heard it.

"There's a Mako Reactor up here too?" Barret said, shaking his head.

"As a trial project." Tseng said. "We attempted to extract Mako from this region, but there was none to be found. At least, not at the depths we mined at. When Professor Hojo received Dr. Gast's final report on this region, we found that all the Mako in this region was channeled towards healing a wound in the planet made around this area."

"The Northern Cave." Cloud said, slowly.

"Yes." Elena said. "There is still Mako flowing in this region, but it's too far down for either Shinra or the land here to use."

Barret scoffed, causing Cid to share a knowing smile.

"The reactor test site will make an adequate staging area for our operation." Tseng continued. "I suggest we carry on before the snow hits."

"Good idea." Cloud said. "C'mon everyone, we've got a lot of ground to cover."

End of Chapter

Well, there is more I had planned for this chapter, but it seems that this chapter has gone on long enough. Hope this makes for a good read. Don't forget to review, please.


	15. Chapter 15: A Nightmare of Velvet

Chapter 15: A Nightmare of Velvet

The sky grew considerably darker the further north the party ventured, with the warmth and comfort of Modeoheim far behind them. Cloud led the way with a brisk pace that Tifa said reminded her of the days she pent in Nibelheim as a mountain guide.

As the snow began to fall lightly, Cloud suddenly called for a halt and veered off of the path.

As the party followed him to a small, snowy alcove, Cloud looked over a large mound of snow.

"I can't believe it's still here…" He whispered to himself, exhuming part of the wreckage.

Everyone else gathered around to see just what he had found. It was the wreckage of a Shinra helicopter, evidently it had been here for a long time.

"Hell, I don't get it." Barret said, shaking his head. Cloud hushed him, and started talking to himself. "Yeah well, I'm a country boy too. From Nibelheim."

He touched the handle of his sword gently, not preparing to draw it. "I'm your living legacy…"

"Cloud, you okay?" Tifa asked. Tseng stepped forward. "I know how this story ends." He said, in the same confident air he always maintained. Addressing Cloud, he announced "A Mako Reactor outside Midgar usually means - "

"-Nothing else out there." He and Cloud finished at the same time. Cloud sighed and said "It's been too long…"

"We still have a job to do." Tseng reprimanded. "Stay focused. If we fail, his sacrifice will have been for nothing."

"Right." Cloud said, shaking his head. "I'm fine. Let's keep going. The reactor test site shouldn't be too far away."

As the main party moved away, Elena detained the Turk squad for a moment. "Tseng," She whispered to her superior. "Mako Reactors and other Shinra owned installations are restricted areas, only available to Shinra personnel. If we let them gain access --"

"Aw, cool it." Reno snorted. "What could they possibly do to an inactive reactor test site? Blow it up?" He snickered at his own joke.

Elena huffed and planted her hands on her hips, giving Reno her trademark "hurt professional" look.

"If they present a problem," Rude said, speaking for the first time during this entire expedition. "We'll take care of it."

"That's enough." Tseng said. "We were ordered to cooperate with them, and we will do just that. These orders come directly from the President."

"Something wrong?" Cloud called back to the small congregation.

"No, nothing wrong here." Tseng said, mildly.

"Come up here, there's something you should see." Cloud beckoned over the ridge the rest of the party had already passed over.

The Turks rejoined the group at the top of the snowy embankment to find the last thing anyone expected to see.

"What's a Mako Reactor doing up here?" Elena frowned.

"That's just what we were about to ask you." Cloud said, folding his arms. "Why didn't you tell us about this one?"

"There shouldn't be a reactor up here." Tseng said. "The company kept close records of all Mako reactors. The excavation attempt up here was a failure."

"Well, the evidence is kind of overwhelming." Tifa said, eyeing the Turks with suspicion.

"Pretty nice replica, though." Reno said, nodding.

"Replica?" Barret gave him an odd look.

"Since it isn't one of ours, it must be a replica." Reno said, evenly. "I say we go have a look at what's been going down, y'know what I'm sayin'?"

The party agreed with Reno's assessment, and proceeded down to the entrance. After blowing the frozen door open, the party entered the familiar Shinra installation.

Compared to the others that Shinra had made, this reactor was a very bare-bones kind of operation. There were no hazard suits, no internal security systems, and nothing that would ensure the reactor's quota. The power was at bare minimum, directed only to maintaining the primary reactor functions.

"Looks like this place was built in a hurry." Red said, looking about. "Some of these welds look fairly fresh."

"Take a look at this." Cid beckoned to a section of wall. "I know this. I remember I saw this serial number back when I was looking for scrap metal in Gongaga a while back. They were selling scrap parts from when the reactor blew, years ago."

"Even you couldn't remember exact serial numbers." Cloud scoffed. "They're at least fourteen characters long."

"No, I can't." Cid said. "But the numbers for the parts used in the Gongaga reactor all started with LN. Like these ones here. I may be getting old hey, but my memory's not that bad yet."

"You mean that this reactor is cobbled together from existing parts scavenged from other ones?" Tseng asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, nobody's gonna miss scrapped reactor parts." Cid said, lighting another cigarette. "And if you got enough parts in one place, you could get one running like this one."

"Interesting." Rude said. "I'll try to see where this reactor's getting it's power."

"Right with you, partner." Reno said, following his fellow Turk to the control room.

The party took a moment to rest while the two preformed their task. Red ignited a small fire in the shelter to provide some warmth, while the rest of the teams broke out some of the rations they had packed away. Mostly consisting of energy bars, bottled water, nuts and beef jerky, it wasn't exactly a first-class meal. But the firelight in which it was shared reminded Cid so much of the events that transpired, what was it? Christ, it was already three days ago! Seemed like a lifetime ago.

Tifa shifted closer to him, putting a gloved hand in his. Cid gave her a smile, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. After biting off a small bit of beef jerky, he washed it down with a quick tug from a flask he kept close.

Tifa cocked her head. "What have you got there?"

Cid gulped the fiery liquid down. "Single malt scotch. Warms you right up. Care for a bit?"

"Thanks." She said, taking a small sip. The sour look she gave and the mild cough was very similar to Cid's reaction when he first tried the smoky liquor.

"How the hell do you stand this?" Tifa coughed, handing the flask back.

Cid shrugged. "It's an acquired taste, I guess. If it's good enough for Rick Blaine, it's good enough for me."

After checking that everyone else was occupied with something else, Tifa wrapped her arms around Cid's neck and kissed him gently. He held her close, drinking her scent in. He made sure to release her when wandering eyes glanced their way, but it was still wonderful to feel this warm fuzzy feeling back inside him.

He noticed right off the bat that Tifa had cast her gaze down, the same way she did when something was bothering her. Cid ran a hand along her back and asked "You okay, love?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said. "I'll just be really glad when this is all over and we won't have to be so secretive about us. I mean, I know it's to ease things with…"

"I know what you mean, girl." Cid said. "We kind of didn't have the best timing here."

"Cid," Tifa said, resting a hand on his arm. "It's fine. You know, things have been wonderful these past few days. Well, without the whole Jenova thing."

Cid laughed with her at that and took another tug on his flask. Before either of them could say anything else, Rude and Reno emerged from the control room.

"We've been able to trace the power flow." Rude announced. "It's an extremely crude setup, but the power is being fed by an underground cable system to a location about four kilometers due east of here."

"What kind of location?" Cloud asked, on his feet.

"It doesn't say," Reno said. "But it's being fed raw Mako and power from this reactor. And it's only been in operation for about a day."

"The we got no time to waste!" Barret launched himself up. "Let's bust this guy up."

Within minutes, the party was underway again, heading east to their destination. The heavy snowfall however, was making things difficult. Everyone stuck together so as they wouldn't get separated. But the biting wind chilled to the bone. Cid gave Tifa his scarf to keep her warm, and he kept his goggles down to keep the snow out of his eyes.

After two hours of laboring through the harsh weather, the two teams finally arrived at a large brick installation. And parked out front, peppered with snow, was a large sickly green motorcycle.

"That's it." Tseng called over the wind. "This is where the power is being fed."

"Let's kick some ass!" Barret shouted against the wind, pulling the bolt of his gun arm back.

"Hang on!" Yuffie said, shivering against the bitter wind. "Cloud, we don't know what we're walking into. I suggest we reconnoiter the joint first, see what's going on."

"We can't stay out in this cold forever!" Reno said, pulling his jacket in tighter.

"But Yuffie does have a point." Cloud said, squinting as he looked around. Just beside the facility was an overpass where the wind didn't reach so much. "We'll take some shelter over there. Yuffie, Cait Sith, I want you two to get inside, let us know what you can see. But you've only got twenty minutes. After that, we're moving in."

"Fair enough." Yuffie said, reaching out to Red. Cait Sith discarded his particle collection backpack, entrusting it to Cloud, and scrambled up the ninja's arm. "See you in a bit!" She called and rushed off for the facility.

Using the same tactics for generating heat they used in the reactor two and a half hours ago, the team shivered in the cold wind and waited for Yuffie and Cait Sith to report in.

---

_It's about TIME Cloud decided to use my awesome skills the way they were supposed to be used._Yuffie thought to herself as she hauled herself up the frozen satellite tower, presumably providing an uplink for Shinra HQ back in the day when this facility was up and running. From what she saw, the tower provided access to a vent that would logically connect to the entire air distribution system.

Leviathan scales, but it was cold! Yuffie thanked herself for dressing warm, and investing in the thick gloves she was using. They provided a good degree of protection for her fingers, but also allowed a good amount of dexterity.

After the miles of metal latticework came the trials of the metal beams that connected to the vent. The wind didn't help her balance much, but Yuffie was able to slip inside with ease.

The instant rush of air nearly put her into a blissful sleep from the warmth. Only Cait Sith's prodding stopped her from napping on the spot.

Yuffie softly crawled through the vent, looking for a way out. Every so often, as she encountered a fan, she used a low-power Bolt spell to short it out and clear her way.

After finally reaching an exit vent, Yuffie dropped down, distributing her weight evenly and spreading her arms to reduce the noise. She quickly ducked behind a large crate as she heard footsteps approaching.

Two men, clad in red armor in a style Yuffie hadn't seen before, walked in concert, talking to each other about something she couldn't see.

Grabbing her PHS unit, Yuffie sent a silent text message to her compatriots outside.

_Infiltrated facility. Yazoo isn't alone. There are others inside._

The reply came fast from Cloud. _How many others?_

_Not sure. I'll keep you posted._

Yuffie's plan was quickly vetoed, however. _Can't wait that long. We need to move in now. We can't take much more of this cold._

The young ninja sighed, and muttered something about the best laid plans. _Okay, hang on. I'll make a distraction. Try to keep a low profile._

Not waiting for a response, Yuffie closed the phone on Cloud. "Okay, pussycat." She whispered. "We need to distract these goons. Got any ideas?"

"Search me, lass." Cait Sith shrugged his little shoulders. "I think we should split up."

"Good idea." Yuffie said. "You find anything, any opportunity you have to set off the distraction, do it. Don't worry about me."

"Good luck." Cait Sith said, and with an almost comical skip and a hop, he vanished behind a corner.

Yuffie snuck out, crouching low to keep her low profile. The yellow Sneak Attack materia helped in that respect, muffling her footsteps, accelerating her pace and making her invisible to all but a direct gaze.

Managing her way up to the upper floors of the complex, the ninja spied a familiar piece of Shinra technology; a power regulator. These devices were responsible for distributing power to the devices that needed it, commonplace in civilization. Usually, these were top security devices, for a strategically placed explosive charge could rob about a quarter of a sector in Midgar of power.

Or in this case, a high powered Thundaga spell to short it out. The entire facility went dark, with reserve generators kicking in.

Not long after, the doors banged open and the frigid air blew the rest of the party inside.

After a brief struggle against the lone sentries, the party took in the sight before them. The inside of the test facility was considerably warmer than outside, but no more hospitable. Stark of any manner of home-like touches, the facility was still dark and dusty from when it was abandoned by Shinra all those years ago.

Though it had been left derelict for a long time, Yazoo had evidently taken the time to ensure most of the interior was working. Otherwise, the heat wouldn't be on.

"That was too easy." Cloud said. "Be on the lookout. There may be more of them."

"In the meantime," Tseng stepped forward and knelt down beside one of the fallen guards. Removing the undamaged helmet, he let out a sigh that sounded like he had the world on his shoulders. "I had hoped we'd seen the last of these…"

"What is it?" Cloud asked, approaching the Turk.

Tseng rose to show the dead man. The same copper red hair, the dead green eyes with the waning Mako gleam and the facial structure was the same as in the file photo in the WRO database. On the cold ground dead, was Genesis Rhapsodos.

Before anyone could react to the sight before them, Tseng calmly walked over to another body laying face down and kicked it over so its face was visible.

"They're identical!" Yuffie gasped.

"What the hell is this?" Cid demanded, cigarette dropping out of his mouth.

"Almost ten years ago," Tseng began, pacing. "During Shinra's prime, Genesis deserted SOLDIER. He took a good many of our operatives with him, and changed them into these… copies."

"I remember that." Reno said. "Whatever did happen to Cissnei, anyway?"

"That's both classified and irrelevant." Tseng reprimanded. "The Jenova cells inside Genesis and others like him were sequenced so that they could act as a conduit and transmit his abilities onto others. That is what happened here."

"All this was recently declassified." Elena piped up. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to share this information."

"Well, if Genesis can make copies of himself, what about Sephiroth?" Cloud asked. "If it was so easy, why didn't they just make an army of Sephiroths?"

"Because the Jenova cells were configured differently in Sephiroth's creation." Tseng said. "I would go into further detail, but it would appear we have company."

Reaching back inside his jacket, Tseng pivoted, dropped to one knee and drew his pistol all in one fluid move. Wasting no time, he quickly fired two quick shots towards one of the upper catwalks.

Both shots hit two of the copies who had tried to get the drop on the party.

"Weapons free!" Tseng shouted to his team. Cloud matched his move by calling out "Let's go!"

High caliber bullets began to rain down from the upper catwalks. Cid was suddenly aware of Tifa's hands on his flight jacket, pulling him behind cover with her.

After the brief barrage, the copies launched themselves down onto the party's level. Tseng and Vincent peeked out from behind their respective cover points and picked off targets as they came into sight.

Cid flattened against the wall, holding up a hand. Tifa nodded and stood her ground. Cid listened closely to the footsteps, guessing about the enemies' charging pattern. As soon as they sounded close enough, he pivoted out of cover and swung the Partisan as hard as he could.

The sharp edges caught one of the copies right under the faceplate, sending a spray of red in the opposite direction. The copy crumpled as Tifa slipped out from behind Cid to deliver the pain to his partner.

Barret held his own against the charging Genesis clones, blowing out entire sections of wall to slow their charge. Usually brute force was considered to be ineffective when fighting snipers, but few combatants had access to the kind of firepower Barret had available. Combining Big Shot attacks, Deathblow materia, and a certain love of destruction, he brought the majority of the catwalks crashing down and the snipers inhabiting them.

Cloud however, was right at home facing the other staple in the squad of copies; the swordsmen. Limited to curved daggers and rifle bayonets, they were little match for a _bona fide_swordsman. The First Tsurugi cleaved through their light armor without much resistance. After bringing the blade coupled with his full weight down on one particularly troublesome swordsman, a familiar shiruken caught his eye, embedded in the side of a wall.

After a moment, it emitted a loud crack and a blinding white light. Cloud ducked down, squeezing his eyes shut. The world went strangely quiet, but when the light faded, he found that the men surrounding him were all on the ground.

Yuffie retrieved her weapon, grinning at him. Cloud simply shook his head. His hearing was coming back, but there was still that terrible ringing in his ears.

Yuffie ignored his discomfort, and cast a meteorite from her forearm. The small, high velocity rock impacted on another copy, bringing his rifle to bear. She leapt out of the way of another machine gun blast and sent another Thundaga spell the shooters way.

Within the span of a few moments, the main area had been cleaned out. With only minor scrapes, a few bullet grazes, and a certain disgruntled blonde leader, the majority of the party felt they had done well, under the circumstances.

Cid however, remain apprehensive. Lighting a fresh smoke, he said "I can't believe that's all this punk had to throw at us."

"Agreed." Vincent said, narrowing his eyes. "Stay alert."

Almost as if on cue, a large energy blast blew out a large section of brick wall. Two imitations of Yazoo, flickering in and out of existence, rushed in through the large hole. Taking cover again, Cloud called to Yuffie "Any luck with overriding this Mime materia?"

"Yeah!" Yuffie said and turned around. "Red! Girl Turk!"

"My name is Elena!" She yelled back, wincing as bits of rubble rained down on her.

"Destruct and Shock materia!" Yuffie called. "Use the both! I think that'll overload the materia and break it."

Wasting no time, Elena's forearm glowed bright blue as the Shock spell intertwined with the green Destruction blast Red had sent out. The spinning dual spell hit one of the imitations square in the chest, stunning both of them. They staggered in concert, but both were recovering.

"Again!" Cloud shouted.

Once again, the two Yazoos staggered and nearly collapsed. Trying one final time to fight, they caught the dual spell in the face and disappeared in a blood red outline.

Electricity crackled on the ceiling as the tall, leather clad, silver haired man fell to the ground, landing on his feet with a certain feline-like quality.

"Was it me you were looking for?" Yazoo said, indifferently.

Smirking slightly, he flipped out of the way of the incoming shots, firing his handgun as he did so.

There was something unnerving about this guy. He still had all the abilites that his copies did, but he seemed to shoot faster, aim better and dodge easier. Even the little rumble he, Cid and Tifa shared in the _Highwind'_s fule intermix chamber seemed tame by these standards.

Cid cursed as the Flare spell he cast missed by a mile. This guy seemed to bounce off the goddamned walls! And all while wearing that aggravating half-smile.

It was a vicous game of touch and go, for both sides. Yazoo weaved in and out of the bullets, blades and spells sent his way, and the combined teams against him just barely dodged the shots he fired back.

The catalyst for Yazoo's downfall however, was when Barret took a Fire blast to the chest and collapsed. In retaliation, a slew of the party's most powerful spells was unleashed, tracking Yazoo's evasive maneuvers. Yazoo may have been fast, but even the enhancement of Jenova cells couldn't override natural fatigue and human error forever.

Yazoo faltered at that one critical moment when a Shock spell, combined with Ultima and three distinct bullets from three different guns hit him dead on. The resulting explosion blew Yazoo clean across the building's span, Red XIII hot on his trail.

The Remnant landed hard don the ground. His chest was a gaping, bloody mess. Red foam began to appear at his mouth as he choked out his final words.

"Not… fair…"

As Yazoo's body began to dissolve away, Cait Sith leapt from Red's shoulders, the collector at the ready. The green mist that enveloped Yazoo lingered in the air for a brief moment, then trickled into the collector as if they were being sucked into a vacuum cleaner.

The rest of the team failed to notice their victory at first. Tifa knelt over Barret, pushing the Cure materia she had as hard as it would go.

After a few moments of tense silence, Barret's eyes fluttered open. His expression changed from pained to confused.

"The hell y'all standin' round me for? What'd I miss?"

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, and let out a celebratory cheer when Cait Sith announced he successfully retrieved the Jenova cells from Yazoo.

One down, three to go. It wasn't much, but it was certainly a start. Cid gave Tifa's hand a reassuring squeeze and was thanked with a warm smile.

After reaffirming that the facility was secure, night had fallen. The party set up tents inside the complex, drawing on the emergency power for warmth and food. Vincent had taken a keen interest to the recovered Velvet Nightmare pistol, busing himself with it for the entire evening.

The plan was set to head back for Modeoheim the next morning. Until then, the task force of twelve took refuge inside the old Mako excavation site while the storm they had seen the tip of raged outside, rattling the old plate glass windows.

Cloud took the first watch for any kind of trouble, positioning himself a fair distance from the small campsite. Tifa busied herself with double checking the party's injuries, making sure that everyone was fighting fit.

It was nearly midnight by the time she found Cid, seated on an old crate and finishing off what she hoped was his final smoke of the night.

Tifa hopped up and sat next to him, causing the pilot to smile. Tifa couldn't help but let his smile influence hers.

"You okay, love?" She asked. "You've been pretty quiet tonight."

Cid nodded, taking a pull from his flask. "I'm fine, love. Just a bit quiet tonight, that's all."

Tifa smiled and snuggled into the crook of his arm, which made its way around her shoulder.

After a moment of silence, Cid observed "These quarters aren't exactly the most comfortable we've seen. I'll be glad when we're back aboard _Highwind."_

"Suck it up, sunshine." Tifa said, playfully. "We've been through worse."

"Oh, yeah?" Cid said with a half-smile. "When?"

Tifa thought for a moment. "Junon. There were bedbugs in Junon."

"And their shitty rooms were overpriced as hell." Cid said as he placed a gentle kiss on Tifa's forehead. Stabbing out his cigarette, he said "Seeing as we got little choice under the circumstances, I say we get to more cozy quarters."

"Lead on." Tifa said, still wearing her radiant smile.

The makeshift campsite had been made up of a rag tag collection of tents, providing sleeping quarters for the party. Nobody wanted to sleep on the cold floor, thus the tents all had sleeping bags and air mattresses inside.

Cid and Tifa had erected theirs a short distance away from the general concentration of the camp. Close enough in the event of trouble, but far enough away to be quiet and discreet should the need arise.

Sealing the zipper from the inside, Cid lay himself down on the right sleeping bag.

"This is cozy," Tifa remarked, as she straightened out of her crouch onto her sleeping bag.

Cid rested his hands behind his head on the bundle of clothes that served as a pillow. "At least it's warm and dry." He said.

"And it's secluded." Tifa said, snuggling up to Cid with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Cid reached over, gathering her in his arms. "I can't imagine why you'd want it that way," He said in the same hushed, joking tone before he kissed her deeply.

When they broke apart, Cid brushed a loose strand of hair out of Tifa's face. Nothing needed to be said, and after a few minutes, they both drifted off into a blissful sleep.


	16. Chapter 16: Roundabout Trip

Chapter 16: Roundabout Trip

The morning after Yazoo's defeat was met without incident. The sunlight sparkled off the newly fallen snow, giving the party clear visibility and calm skies all the way back to Modeoheim.

It should have been a straight trip back to the _Highwind_, but the villagers of Modeoheim wouldn't have it. They had a veritable feast ready, where every single on of the villagers had come to express their gratitude.

Cid had never felt very comfortable being put on the spot, but he endured it well. The fantastic meal the villagers had put together was more than reward enough. Tifa stuck with him throughout the entire ordeal, as if she could sense his discomfort and she knew he needed here there at his side.

Cloud on the other hand, had no problem with the hero worship the villagers had to offer. He was generous with his praise during the meal and even took time afterwards to interest the younger children in the exact details of the fight they had just gone through.

Being young children, they followed Cloud's every hand gesture with eyes as wide as their dinner plates.

The only other person who enjoyed the spotlight more than Cloud was Yuffie. She was truthful in her part of the story, but by the time the party had left the small village, they thought that the entire campaign was a success due to Yuffie's extraordinary cunning and unyielding bravery that had saved Modeoheim.

It was nearly two in the afternoon when the _Highwind _finally returned to the skies. Once aboard, Cid locked the autopilot on and went down below to the situation room. He slipped in just behind Elena and Vincent, as Reeve's face appeared on the large monitor at the head of the table.

"_I'm glad to hear you're making progress." _He said. "_Report_."

"We've been able to contain the Jenova cells Yazoo was carrying." Cloud said from the front. "We've stored them in the secure section on the hold."

The news seemed to take years off of Reeve's face. "_I'm glad to hear that the first blow has been struck. What exactly did you face up there?"_

"It would appear that the remnants are using innocent civilians and any kind of genetic material they can to create Genesis copies." Tseng stepped forward from the wall he was leaning against.

"_Copies?"_ Reeve said, his face going a shade paler. "_I don't understand."_

"The specifics of the program were only recently declassified." Tseng said. "Genesis' genetic makeup has allowed for the Jenova cells inside of him to transmit his abilities and appearance onto other subjects, copying himself onto them."

"_How dangerous are these copies?"_ Reeve asked.

"If they're playing by the same rules they were when copies were first encountered, they aren't quite as dangerous as the targets themselves." Tseng said. "It depends if they make copies out of people or monsters. If they are based on people, we can expect soldiers."

"_Approximately how fast can they make up an army of these copies?_" Reeve's tone began to sound grave.

"I'm not sure how long it would take to manufacture an effective battle force." Tseng said. "But I doubt it would take long."

Reeve sighed._ "Then I'm afraid I have bad news. We've received a distress call from Wutai."_

Yuffie's ears perked up. "Wutai?"

"_Yes. They said they came out of nowhere. They're holding out for the time being, but they can't last long."_

"We're on our way." Cloud said. "Anything else?"

"_Watch your backs." _Reeve said. "_Tuesti out."_

Reeve's image vanished off the screen and Yuffie got to her feet. "C'mon, what're we waiting for? Let's go!"

Cid was on his feet almost instantly and out the door en route to the bridge. The adrenaline was pumping through his veins, the desire to fight fuelling his efforts.

The last time he felt like this, the airship was rocketing towards the Northern Cave five years ago. But unlike last time, the stakes were higher, the mission was more dangerous, and the rewards were sweeter. It helped that now, he actually had something worth fighting for. Besides that whole tired saving the world shtick.

---

Plotting a return trip on her last course, _Highwind_ touched down just behind the Da-Chao mountain range to mask her presence. Yuffie led the way into town, keeping a pace that most of the party had a hard time keeping up with. Unlike her usual exuberant self, Yuffie was quiet, sullen and determined to reach her town at any cost.

Even when Tifa attempted to talk to her, get her to spill what was on her mind, her attention didn't waver from the mission at hand.

After a couple of hours of half-jogging, climbing - and in Reno's case, nearly falling - down the mountains, Yuffie motioned for everyone to keep low as they closed in on Wutai.

Hiding under the cover of the local tall weeds, Yuffie motioned for everyone to come close.

"Okay, guys." She said quietly, bringing out a PDA. On the small screen was a topographical map of Wutai and the surrounding area. "There are four entrances to the town. Everyone, spilt into teams of three and we'll hit all entrances at once. Radio in when you're in position."

Yuffie stood by her position, with Cloud and Vincent. Rude, Reno and Elena followed Tseng, Red and Cait Sith south, towards two of the other entrances. Cid, Tifa and Barret took the high road to the west to the final entrance.

As soon as they were in position behind a low wall separating Wutai from the harsh wilderness, Barret reported their readiness to Yuffie.

After a few tense moments, Yuffie's voice crackled over the PHS. "_Now!"_

The three of them heaved themselves over the wall, ready for battle.

The three of them had been prepared for a heavy fight, against multiple targets. It turned out that their preparations were in vain, for the streets were deserted.

In recent years, Wutai had become more than a tourist attraction, but the materia Yuffie had retrieved made for a cultural and historical site. The usually bustling, energetic streets that were usually associated with Wutai now had the same eerie, abandoned feel that Modeoheim had exhibited.

The PHS crackled. "_We've got nothing over here. Anyone else?"_

Barret reported that they hadn't seen anything, and neither had the other two teams.

There was a small sigh from Yuffie. "_Let's regroup at the Grand Estate. We'll figure out our next move from there."_

Barret acknowledged and shut the PHS off. "Y'know what this reminds me of? All these abandoned towns?" He said, looking about. "Some of those old zombie movies, y'know?"

Cid snorted. "Yeah, let's just hope this movie ends better. Let's go."

Walking lightly through the streets, the party of three kept their eyes and ears open for any sign of trouble. The journey to the estate Yuffie's father owned in the northern section of the city went without incident, but the sinking feeling of dread didn't let up.

When they arrived at the quiet estate, the Turks were already hard at work setting up electronic equipment on the nearby roofs and other elevated surfaces.

Yuffie was the first to notice the changes made to her home. Before she could object, Tseng said "These are remote transmitters and proximity sensors. They're tied into our PHS units, to alert us if there is any activity in the city." His usual baritone had an undercurrent of tense justification, indicating he was only too aware of the looks he and his compatriots were receiving.

"It's a good idea." Cloud said, defending the party's allies. "Any idea what we're up against?"

There was no answer at first. "The distress call said that the enemies had come out of nowhere." Red said, pensively. "Yuffie, is there anywhere where a task force like the copies we faced in Modeoheim?"

"Yeah, there's a honeycomb of tunnels inside Da-Chao." Yuffie said. "But why would they attack Wutai? … oh, no."

Yuffie darted off into the estate, without another word. After a few minutes, she stepped out, livid. Her steps were staggered, her knuckles white on the handle of her shiruken.

"It's gone." She said quietly, sitting down on the steps of the estate. "All of it…"

"What's gone?" Barret asked.

Vincent drew a sharp breath. "The materia?" he asked.

Yuffie gave a curt nod. "This is bad. If they're using the materia, then we've got a hard fight ahead."

"What kind of materia did they take?" Cloud asked.

"Our trove." Yuffie said. "The materia I recovered from all over the world. The town was using it for historical purposes. One of each type. Command, summon, magic, support. They were all Mastered materia too, so they've got an almost unlimited source of power."

Groans erupted from the majority of the party. Cid cursed and placed a hand over his eyes, rubbing his forehead. Beside him, Tifa plowed her face into both of her open hands, letting loose a heavy sigh.

"Well, nobody said this was gonna be easy." Cloud said.

"C'mon, Cloud." Yuffie said incredulously, getting to her feet. "This is some of the most powerful materia the world has ever known. How do you expect us to counter this slight problem?"

"Well, you're the materia expert." Cloud said, gesturing to the young ninja. "You tell me."

"I- I don't know. I'm stumped. "Yuffie said. "Once materia's been fused, it's nearly impossible to separate."

"But it IS possible." Reno said. "How?"

"I don't know." Yuffie said, gesturing violently. "Nobody's ever done it before. My best idea is that some kind of sonic vibration would be the only way. But it'd have to be pretty powerful."

"How powerful?" Cloud asked.

"Maybe enough to level a mountain or put a hole in the world." Yuffie said. "And I don't think that we have anything that could even come close to that."

"Well, it looks like we don't have much of a choice." Cid said, standing. "If you ask me, I say we take our chances."

"Yeah." Yuffie said. "Even if we could destroy the materia, the loss to the planet - especially Wutai - could be irreparable."

"Well, how about just knocking the materia out?" Cloud said. "Even forcibly removing it from its user at a distance?"

"Well, we could try to overload the materia so it separates." Yuffie said, sitting down on the ground. Her legs were crossed, and she twirled her hair absent-mindedly as she thought. "A sonic vibration could do that. And Seal materia uses sonic waves to overload the eardrums of a target to cause silence."

"Could we use that?" Elena said. "I've never heard of materia being used like that."

"Neither have I, but I don't see why not." Yuffie said. "I suppose if it were on a high enough level, and coupled with MP Turbo… Leviathan, it could work!"

"Anything else we could use?" Cloud was on his feet, feeling the rush of energy that such progress can cause in a person.

"Maybe an orb of Magic Plus materia, and a pair of magic earrings to help augment its power." Yuffie said. "I have some, right here."

Removing her left shoe, Yuffie detached the heel and pulled the earrings out of a secret compartment. Attaching them to herself, she stood and took a yellow orb of materia out of her backpack.

"Total honesty, Yuffie." Cloud said. "How good of a chance do we have?"

"You've got me." Yuffie shrugged. "This is all just a theory. Nobody's ever thought about separating materia before. And I don't even know if this isn't just gonna deafen him."

"It's worth a shot, though." Red supplemented. "Silence will nullify a good deal of the materia the user might be implementing, and I doubt that many enemies could take a vibration like the one we're discussing."

"What about the rest of us?" Tifa asked. "How is this augmented spell going to affect us?"

"If It's focused on the target enough, we shouldn't be affected." Yuffie said. "I'm pretty sure, anyway. But I think we should do this. Heh, I'm liking this plan more and more!"

"Well, I guess that's that." Cloud said. "Where do we go from here?"

"I'm betting they're hiding in Da-Chao." Yuffie said. "I know this land like the back of my hand. I can lead us in."

"How far do the tunnels go inside the mountain?" Tseng asked.

"Really far." Yuffie said. "I used to hide in there all the time." She blushed and cast a look at the ground. "Dad used to get really mad whenever I'd skip out on etiquette classes. So I used to hide up there until he cooled down."

"Is it safe?" Elena asked, casting a gaze up at the steep mountain range. "To climb up there, I mean."

"Oh, yeah." Yuffie said. "There are lava outlets all over the place that cooled thousands of years ago. And unless there's another lonely guy with a powerful libido around, I don't think we should have any worries about falling off the cliff."

Cid let out a small chuckle. The memory of Don Conero's last stand had almost been forgotten.

"All right." Cloud said. "If there's nothing else we can do, I suggest we get a move on."

"Yeah, let's go." Yuffie said, leading the way. "We're burning daylight, c'mon."


	17. Chapter 17: Close To Home

Chapter 17: Close to Home

The long trek back through the town and up the Da-Chao mountain took another hour off of the day, which was now waning on. Cid was beginning to feel the strain of the days expenditures from the soles of his feet all the way up to his hamstrings. Still, he didn't complain. Despite these small discomforts, it felt good to be useful again.

The inside of Da-Chao was dark and warm, like being inside an inactive volcano. A small hint of sulphur punctuated the air as the party broke out flashlights, head lamps and palm beacons.

Yuffie led the way into the mountain, a small, high-intensity headlamp attached to her headband. Walking softly, she touched the walls every so often to obtain her bearings. However, about after a half hour of spelunking, the party arrived at a wall that extended fifteen feet up. At the top, it extended into three separate lava ducts.

"This is new." Yuffie said, frowning.

Barret's response was considerably more direct in facing the problem. "How the hell we gonna get up there?" He said, pointing. "I dunno if we can climb that."

Reno shut off his palm beacon and sighed. "We gotta be the brains of this outfit, or what?"

Setting down the duffel bag he carried, he pulled out a small piton gun. After asking Yuffie "Locals permitting, of course." - to which she nodded - he fired towards the cavern's roof. The small piton embedded itself into the roof, letting the strong cord reach the floor.

Not wasting time, Reno attached the accompanying safety harness onto the rope, gesturing for the rest of the team to go first.

It took about ten minutes for the party to ascend to the higher level, Red having the most difficulty. The members on the higher level had to use the harness as a pulley of sort as the poor beast held on for dear life. It was a tedious job, but it was quickly forgotten as the party ventured deeper into the mountain.

Looking about, Yuffie suddenly stopped about ten minutes later. Looking about she smiled. "No way…"

The ninja ran off down an intersecting corridor, leaving the party.

"Yuffie, come back!" Cloud shouted. His voice echoed down the tunnels, but there was no response.

"Hell!" Cid hissed and led the chase after her. "C'mon!"

The party thundered after him, but the chase didn't last long. The flashlight shook as Cid jogged, but even in the dim light, the sight in front of him was unmistakable.

"Stop!" He called, digging his heels into the ground to slow himself down. He held his arm out to the side so as to catch anyone who wasn't fast enough. He'd come too damn far to lose anyone now.

It was very fortunate he did too, because Tifa was right on his heels. His arm caught her, just before she pitched over the precipice Cid stood over. The glow stick she was carrying slipped from her grasp, and vanished into the abyss. If it ever hit the bottom, nobody ever saw or heard it.

"Okay," Cid said, breathing heavily. "Let's back off, nice and easy."

The party reversed slowly, giving the yawning chasm the respect it deserved. After relaxing for a moment, Cloud nodded to Cid. "Not bad, Highwind."

Cid simply snorted. "I'm getting' too old for this shit."

"Why don't you go home, then?" Cloud said, a hint of scorn punctuating the sentence.

"Cause I finish what I start, Strife." Cid snarled back. "Can you say the same?"

"Okay, that's enough!" Tifa scolded. "Both of you. Come one, we've got to find Yuffie."

A faint voice called. "Over here, you guys."

Following the sound of her voice, the party found Yuffie inside a small chamber off to the side of a large tunnel, not far away from the chasm that just about claimed them all.

"Yuffie, what the hell are you doing?" Cloud said, resentfully.

Yuffie clearly didn't catch the reprimand in his voice, as her wide smile didn't waver. "I was looking for these here." She gestured around the small cavern. "I forgot about all this stuff! I'm amazed that it's still all here!"

All around the small cavern, no bigger than a midsize bedroom, were various types of weapons, materia and armor. Some of it was run-of-the-mill equipment, more fitting for a Shinra Infantryman, but there was still an impressive assortment of gear most of the party hadn't seen before.

"My treasure trove." Yuffie smiled. "I hid all this stuff away years ago."

Cloud still hadn't forgotten about the incident that had just occurred. "Yuffie, you can't just run off like that."

"Well, you guys shouldn't have come running like that." Yuffie said, placing her hands on her hips. "You'd make enough ruckus to wake the dead. Besides, you should be careful around here. It gets pretty dangerous around this part of the mountain. It's real easy to get lost in here."

"Were you planning on telling us before or after we all fell to our deaths?" Cid howled.

"SHHH!!" Yuffie hissed. "Not so loud. I would have come back to you guys. But it's over with now, so dig in!"

The quality of the gear Yuffie had uncovered overwhelmed the party's annoyance at her. Cid stowed the Scimitar on his back, transferring the materia inside to the powerful Holy Lance he retrieved. It was a little heavier than the spear he had just been carrying, and the pearl white blade was a little shorter. But the multicolored crystals studding the base of the head complimented the long wooden shaft, and just holding the spear made Cid feel better.

"Yuffie, where did you find all this?" Tifa asked, looking over the armor. "This is some quality kit you've got here!"

"Well, it's been piling up over the years." Yuffie said. "A lot of this stuff, Dad wasn't supposed to know about."

"I won't tell if you won't!" Barret said, swapping out his gun arm attachment for a heavy particle beam cannon. He grinned widely as he did so, saying "Time to do some damage!"

The Turks made themselves at home with some of the more powerful weapons available. Rude fitted a shining pair of Defense Gloves onto his thick hands, Reno weighed a Neural Mace in his hand, Tseng made himself at home with a large scoped energy pistol, and Elena seemed contented with the sniper cannon she found.

Even Cloud marveled at the large, red-hilted, rune-engraved sword at the back. After he transferred the materia from the First Tsurugi blades into the new Ultima Sword, Yuffie piped up "Nice haul, right?"

"Not bad, Yuf." Cloud said. "What's next?"

"Well, from what I remember," She said. "There's a few really huge atrium chambers that have been hollowed out by erosion that are pretty close together. Not far away, actually."

"What's so special about these chambers?" Tseng asked.

"Well, if you want to be comfy while hiding in this mountain, that'd be the place to be." Yuffie said. "I think that there's our best bet for finding whatever it is we're looking for."

"Lead the way." Cloud said. "And don't get sidetracked this time."

"Oh, chill out, Cloud." Yuffie scoffed. "The only other interesting thing we could possibly find in this mountain is either our target or a Mako fountain. And the odds of finding a fountain are so slim, I'm not even gonna worry about it."

Without another word, the party moved out along the edge of another large drop. Before long however, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Yuffie motioned to the rest "Keep low and quiet." She whispered. "We'll take them by surprise."

Crouching down and taking cover, the party edged their way to the edge of the cavern, looking inside the large atrium.

An array of Mako Pods stood like ominous sentinels, each containing a person. The process of changing the subject into Genesis ranged from the initial stages, which involved small changes like red hair, or a thin, Widow's Peak nose, to a full transformation, complete with armor and weapons next to the tank for when the soldier emerged, ready to fight.

Yuffie sighed. "This is bad…" She whispered. "More copies."

"Tseng, exactly what happened with the copies the first time?" Red asked, softly but firmly.

"Genesis deserted Shinra, taking a lot of SOLDIER 2nd and 3rd classes with him." Tseng said. "He used them to wage a war on Shinra, and tried to destroy the world. Looks like our target's using the untapped Mako in this mountain to make these soldiers."

"What is it with these guys and their world destruction plans?" Cid said, leaning back and taking a drag of his cigarette. "You'd think that they'd have learned by now that just doesn't work."

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you guys," Yuffie said. "But I want to find out more about what's going on."

"Agreed." Cloud said. "Discretion's the better part of valor here. Let's sneak in and try to find our target."

Splitting up into different teams, -Cid, Tifa, Rude and Cait Sith made up one, Cloud, Yuffie, Barret and Red made up the second, and Tseng, Elena, Vincent and Reno made up the last - the party moved into the large cavern.

The Mako glow cast eerie shadows all over the cave, with the abominations they contained sending a cold chill of fear and disgust down Cid's spine. They kept their distance, hoping to preserve the clandestine nature of their presence. Surprise was an effective weapon, and Cid hoped to take full advantage of it.

As the three teams made their way to the higher ground inside the atrium, a familiar voice was heard. It was a deep, masculine voice that had a small whine in it that didn't seem suited to the owner.

"Come on, work for me! Everything's right, but it's not working!"

Tifa stiffened visibly. "I know that voice," She whispered, cracking her knuckles. Cid knew that look too well, and left her alone. He knew that if he interfered, the best case scenario would leave him with a broken nose, blown cover and a bruised ego.

Ducking behind an inert Mako Pod, Cid caught sight of Vincent's team. He waved, catching the gunslinger's attention. He pointed towards the higher ground and then to Vincent's path, hinting for a flanking maneuver.

Vincent nodded. He always had a knack for putting tactical situations like this together fast, and he led his team into position.

Cid beckoned for the rest of his team to follow, stopping just shy of what served as the target's command post. Keeping in sight of other team, Cid counted down from three on his fingers.

On the final count, both teams made the final hurdle into the command post, catching the target off guard.

"Having some trouble?" Rude said, cocking an eyebrow.

"You should consider a new line of work." Reno supplemented fro the other side.

The man known as Loz looked up from what he was doing and gave a cocky smile. "You're late. I was expecting some kind of organized resistance sooner."

"Well, you've got more than you can handle now." Cid said, defiantly.

"You think so?" Loz said, his grin never even flickering. "Let's see about that. Mother will know vengeance on this pathetic little world. On with the show!"

After punching a button on the console before him, the loud clunks of the Mako Pods opening resonated throughout the cavern.

"Incoming!" Cloud shouted from a distance away.

Tifa was the first to attack. She slipped past Cid so fast he barely saw her, and threw a punch at the remnant. He sidestepped her attack, but Tifa followed through with a spin back kick.

Cid would have joined her in fighting the remnant, but a group of copies began to come up the path behind him. Thinking quickly, he used the Comet materia attached to the Bolt Armlet he wore to remove part of the ceiling and rain it down onto the incoming enemies.

He managed to catch two of them under the main part of the rubble, and the accompanying debris rained down on four others. Out of eight of them, two of them were still standing.

Cait Sith managed to cast a float spell that lifted one off the ground, allowing Cid to make an easy swipe at him like some sort of grisly piñata.

After dealing with the remaining copy, Cid turned around just in time to see Tifa fall to the ground from a vicious kick to the stomach.

Loz snickered, and called "Play nice!" before running off.

Cid crossed the distance in two quick strides, pulled Tifa to her feet and summoned Rude and Cait Sith to follow him.

The sounds of battle followed them through the caverns as the party of four chased after the escaping remnant. To better keep up, Cait Sith clambered up Cid's arm to rest on his shoulder, sending confusion spells behind the party to deter any pursuers.

To augment his support spells, Cid hurled stalactites towards the enemies with Earth materia and Tifa sent a couple of Ultima spells behind them, not stopping to confirm the hits.

It was only after Loz exited the network of tunnels did the party take a moment to breathe. The sun was glowing orange as it began to sink below the horizon, the moon starting to give chase on the other side of the sky.

There was no sign of Loz, only the exterior sun-baked rock and the chirp of distant insects.

As it turned out, the remnant hadn't even been winded by the brief chase. He struck fast and hard from behind the rock face the party had just emerged from, at the highest point in the Da-Chao range. The thin air from the high altitude made breathing difficult, giving the party barely enough air to keep their blood oxygenated.

In addition, the uneven ground made for a close-quarters, no-prisoners fight, leaving no room for error or evasive maneuvers. It made for an interesting engagement, to say the least.

"I'm touched." Loz sneered at his attackers. "You came all this way, just for me?"

"You're coming with us." Rude said, placing his right fist into his open left palm.

"But I'm having so much fun." Loz said, cocking his head to the side. He swept his hand to display the city below. "Don't you want to see what I've done here?"

"Enough talk!" Cid barked, doing his best to retain the wheeze his strained lungs wanted to give. "Yer comin' with us, like it or not!"

"You think you can stop me?" Loz said, throwing his head back laughing. "Fine. Do your worst, and watch Wutai burn as you fail!"

The large man darted forward, much too fast for a man of his build. Cid recognized the materia at work. He took a step back, slashing forward. Loz ducked below the blade, turning in the same motion to come to his destination, just behind the pilot.

Cid felt his leg buckle as it was kicked in, followed by a terrific blow to his collarbone that only an elbow could deliver. He cried out, falling to his knees. This position left him vulnerable, as he felt the arms around his neck, pulling up. Cid clawed at the vise-like grip, feeling the fibers that held his head on strain and begin to break.

"No!!" Tifa screamed, coming to his aid. All Cid was able to see was a black sneaker, whistling above his head to connect with the crop of short white hair. All he heard was the sickening crack and accompanying groan of pain.

The remnant took the blow to his face, releasing the coughing pilot. He absorbed the impact in such a way that had him turn to face his opponent, fists at the ready. Cait Sith had taken this opportunity to scramble up the remnant's arm and began clawing at his face.

With one arm, Loz picked up the housecat by the scruff of the neck and tossed him sharply into the rock face. Cait Sith groaned softly, and slumped into unconsciousness.

Rude joined into the fight, delivering a sharp one-two punch to the remnant's jaw. Loz buckled under the Turk's strength, but countered with a duck and a vicious uppercut.

Tifa leapt onto the remnant, holding his arms from behind. Loz wrenched his right arm free, elbowing Tifa in the sternum and took advantage of the brief moment of weakness, throwing her over his shoulder.

She landed with a hard thud, gasping for oxygen in the dusty, thin air.

Back on his feet and fit to be tied, Cid threw the spear at Loz. He leaned sideways, catching the heavy lance. Before he could throw it back however, Cid barreled forward and drove the top of his head into Loz's midsection.

The breath exploded out of him, and Cid snapped his head up to catch Loz in the jaw. Swearing he heard Loz's teeth chatter, Cid caught the remnant in a chokehold, driving the muscle-bound leviathan against one of the rock walls.

Smirking, Loz launched his arms up, knocking Cid's out of the way. The same hands grabbed ahold of Cid's collar, holding him in place to receive a vicious head butt for his audacity.

Stars lit up Cid's vision, the familiar coppery taste of blood filling his mouth as he collapsed backwards to the ground. He lay coughing on his side for a moment. Not wasting time, Loz kicked him while he was down, cracking the right side of his ribcage and flipping him onto his back.

Before the large combat boot came down on his head, Cid's reflexes allowed him to catch the foot before it crushed his head. Straining to keep it at bay, Cid grabbed ahold of Loz's left knee, which supported all his weight. The maneuver helped Cid up, while bringing Loz down.

Cid gasped, lungs screaming for air. The mountain air was really taking it out of him. Fighting part of Sephiroth was certainly a challenge without oxygen.

As soon as Loz returned to his feet, Tifa was ready for him. She took ahold of his head, grappling him in a headlock and pivoted his body in such a way to deliver a vicious Piledriver move.

Loz landed on his head, a trickle of blood making its way from his hairline. All it did to Loz was remove the cocky sneer off his face. Dazed, he staggered to his feet as Rude's roundhouse kick missed by a mile.

A move like the one Tifa just preformed would have easily killed a lesser opponent. The tough remnant still fought hard, a tree-like leg catching Tifa in the chin, sending her down into the dust.

"I thought you would have learned from last time," Loz snarled, as he grabbed her by the front of her shirt.

"Not MY woman, ya bastard!" Cid snarled. He grabbed ahold of his forgotten spear, and rammed the hilt into Loz's side.

The stinging impact caused the remnant to flinch, making him an easy target for Rude's incoming dropkick.

There was a loud crack as the Turk broke at least two of Loz's ribs, but the tank of a man was still able to fight, laughing as he did so.

Cid lunged forward, trying to embed the business end of the spear into Loz's shoulder. The remnant sidestepped and pivoted, driving his foot into the small of Cid's back.

The impact forward showed Cid the gravity of the situation he and the three others were in. He teetered on the very edge of a free fall, a sheer drop all the way down to the base of the mountain.

Loz delivered a brutal scissor kick to Rude's chest, knocking the Turk to the ground, and turned back to Cid to finish the job.

Tifa leapt onto the remnant's back, trying to pull him back. If her weight affected Loz, he didn't show it. He delivered a punch to Cid's chest, knocking the pilot down into a freefall.

But not before Cid grabbed ahold of Loz's clothing, pulling the remnant - and to his horror, Tifa - down with him.

---

It turned out that life didn't seem to want to make things any easier for the battle down below. The program Loz activated to release the subjects from their pods hadn't just released select few, as Cloud had initially hoped, but had released all of them.

All of the copies were in various stages of mutation. Some of them had simply collapsed and started screaming, others farther along began attacking friend and foe alike out of confusion, and the most advanced copies were the most dangerous targets, striking fast and hard with lethal precision and no mercy.

Cloud had little trouble with the numerous swordsmen, combining various fast and elegant chained moves that chopped down seven of the copies that had crowded around him, bringing the casualties up to an even ten by unleashing a ruthless Blade Beam attack.

The other staple to the army with Genesis' face were the gunners, their preferences ranging from dual pistols to sniper rifles and compact submachine guns. The odd mixtures of kit showed that each of the weapons had been retrieved from different places, varying in quality and effectiveness.

But the weapons used were only as good as their users. The remainder of the Turk squads were able to pick off the lesser combatants, while Vincent leapt about the cavern, dodging and weaving in and out of the firing lines.

The copies were exceptionally skilled, but they were at a distinct disadvantage. The party had caught them unorganized and not up to full strength. And by the time they could effectively rally their forces, they didn't have enough combat-effective troops available to mount even the most frantic defensive.

The copies had an ace in the hole, however. And what an ace it was. One of the more advanced soldiers, stricken down by Yuffie's shiruken and bleeding profusely from his sternum, managed to activate one of the control studs on a mostly destroyed panel.

In response, a large Mako pod was released from the ceiling, where it impacted onto the floor and cracked open.

The pod released its subject, a large scaly humanoid with blue skin, two rows of teeth and a sour disposition.

What interested Yuffie most however, was the four bright multicolored lights in the creature's forearms. "The materia!" She called out. "He's got it!"

Almost as if to confirm Yuffie's report, the beast fired off an alarming staccato of high-powered magic spells at the roof, caving in the exit behind the party. Effectively, the only way out was through him.

Aiming for the eyes, the gunners of the party opened fire. The shots bounced off the almost fish-like scaled on his back, and alerted him tot heir presence.

Tseng and Elena had holed up in a comfortable sniper post, where they had executed most of the copies with near impunity. Now, in response for their audacity, the creature sent an Ultima blast towards their position that destabilized the ledge they were standing on. Caught in the resulting rockslide, they vanished from view as the side of the cavern crumbled on top of them.

The fear for her comrades lives twisted a knot in Yuffie's stomach. Vowing to make the atrocity pay, she shouted "Cover me!" and began to focus the power she had onto her materia, ready to disrupt the Mastered materia.

Parrying some of the bright blue bolts of light the creature emitted from his hands, Cloud leapt in close to deliver a brutal Climhazzard blow. Normally, a strike like that would have been sufficient to kill a beast twice the creature's size. But the augmentation of materia had mutated the creature's resilience and Cloud's attack had merely aggravated it.

However, it was just the opportunity Yuffie needed. One of the materia orbs that Wutai had in possession was a mastered Counterattack. And now, the large orb with the various types of mastered Independent materia were channeling all their power through the Counterattack segment.

As the purple orb reached it's brightest point, just as it was about to take a killer swipe at Cloud, Yuffie brought both of her hands together and released the enhanced Silence spell.

A loud crack followed the sonic boom the spell produced as the creature let out an ear-splitting roar and was blasted back off of its feet. The large, fused orb of materia had shattered, all of the smaller, separate materia bits falling to the ground, intact.

"It worked!" Yuffie shouted, the feeling of her success energizing her spirit. "Keep fighting, we can do this!"

"Work s for me!" Barret boomed, as he let off a charged shot from his new Particle Cannon.

Without the enhanced abilities from the independent materia, the monster had a harder time maintaining it's prowess in the fight. It's physical strength, defense, speed and magic a power seemed to diminish considerably.

"Keep aggravating it!" Yuffie called. "Our weapon only works if he's using the materia!"

"Noted," Vincent growled as he fought the Velvet Nightmare with a jammed slide. Barret kept him covered, the Particle Beam on his arm leaving large, ugly, foul smelling burn marks through the creature's reinforced flesh.

Having enough of the small cluster of its attackers, the creature heaved its nearby prison over its head, and began making preparations to throw it.

Yuffie noticed that it was using Command materia to augment its throwing power. She recognized the materia she was so fond of using, and unleashed another disruption burst.

This time, the effect was more decisive for the target. In addition to being further weakened from its loss of materia, the heavy Mako pod it had positioned over its head slipped from its grasp and impacted on the creature's skull. It howled in pain, thrashing about in anger.

"Watch it, he's getting mad!" Cloud called, bringing the Ultima Sword into a defensive posture.

The creature leapt up onto one of the overturned Mako pods, and launched itself into the air. When it drove its fist back into the ground, the Quake spell it used sent a powerful shockwave throughout the cavern.

The party was knocked off their feet, and stalactites began to rain down. The surviving members just barely managed to avoid the deadly hail, trying to get back to their fighting positions before the monster overwhelmed them, surely a fatal scenario.

Coughing from the resulting dust cloud, Yuffie felt her strength beginning to ebb away. The two bursts had done a real number on her magical prowess. Reaching into one of her pockets, she uncorked a small vial of Ether and downed the sour liquid in one gulp.

She nearly choked as it went down, dodging out of the way as the monster began to get desperate and throw magic every which way.

After it unleashed a ludicrously powerful Blizzaga spell that froze a cluster of Mako pods, Yuffie sent out another materia disruptor spell.

This time, the collection of orbs were green, showing that the creatures magical abilities had been neutralized. That only left one part of the mastered materia left, the most dangerous one.

Seeing that its defenses were all but gone, the party hit the beast with everything they had. Without its augmented attacks and defenses, the abomination didn't last long under the coordinated efforts of the rest of the party.

The finishing blow actually came from the grave. As the beast struggled for one last attack, the signature crack of Elena's sniper cannon blew the last the back of the creature's head off. The blue blood poured out like a macabre fountain, but there was still something wrong.

As Tseng and Elena exhumed their beaten and bloody bodies from what would have been a crude, but effective grave, Elena's eyes widened as she saw a blood red orb of Materia floating above their enemy's body.

"Summon!" She shouted, loading a fresh clip into her sniper cannon.

Out of the emergent fissure near the roof, a large warthog, snarling and lashing out appeared. Electricity crackled at his tusks, fire burned on his head, and the ground he trod upon froze underfoot.

"Kjata." Cloud said to himself. To the rest of the team, he shouted "No elemental magic! Let's take it down!"

Still feeling the wounds that the Mako creature had exerted onto them, the party rallied together, giving a hundred and ten percent against the elemental menace that Kjata was. It landed hard, charging towards Barret and Yuffie, knocking unturned Mako Pods left and right. Yuffie dove out of the way, as did Barret after he fired a charged pulse at the creature. It roared in anger, electrifying the Mako Pods with its tusks. The electricity arced around the cavern, creating treacherous paths at seared through the corpses and incinerated most of the still bodies.

The electricity created a ring for the battle, making any possible exit a suicide run. Kjata roared as it began tossing spells arbitrarily left, right and center The party dodged and rolled around the spells, either being singed or partially frozen due to the constraints of the ring.

Cloud dashed forward, slashing upwards with the Ulitma Sword and stringing the combinations of slashes and stabs that proved so effective five minutes ago.

Kjata wasn't pleased with Cloud's up-close-and-personal approach, and heaved him backwards, the electrical charge causing him to convulse as he hit the hard rock.

Barret fired his cannon, holding the beam steady. The heat quickly rose past the weapons designated safety limits, overloading the weapon and exceeding Barret's comfort levels. The skin around his implant began to grow red and blister as the beam began to flicker. But the effect on the summon was more than enough reason to keep going, as a blast in a strategic area allowed for Reno to use the Shock materia he had equipped, flipping the beast over and allowing Yuffie to hack at its vulnerable underside.

Tseng, Elena and Vincent provided covering fire, distracting the beast whenever it got too close to one of their friends. The pinpoint shots of Elena's sniper cannon took out one of Kjata's eyes just as Cloud returned to his feet. In response, the summon picked up a charged Mako Pod with its right tusk and hurled it at Cloud.

The swordsman quickly chopped the incoming hunk of metal out of the way. It crashed off to the side, still crackling. He sprinted to Kjata's face, and drove the Ultima Sword upwards into it's head.

The large warthog shuddered, roared and collapsed, returning to the materia from whence it came. The electric charge died down, removing the restrictive field from around the party, allowing them to breathe easy once more.

After a moment of tending to their respective wounds, downing potions - in Yuffie's case, gathering the dropped materia - and catching their breath, Reno suddenly got to his feet. "Wait a minute." He said, looking up to one of the cavern entrances. "What happened to the target?"

---

The wind howled by Cid's ears as he accompanied the two others to their doom. Perhaps, in the back of his mind, he was afraid of the pain and death that awaited him some two thousand meters and closing fast. Or maybe it was the hint of regret that he and Tifa would never be able to see€ just how far this love affair would go.

All those self-indulgent thoughts were blocked out by the directive at hand: Stop Loz. If they didn't do that, this world would surely end. Was it such a small price to pay? The lives of two star-crossed lovers against the world's population of 340 million souls, in humans alone?

Such questions were best left to other, smarter men, not the weathered pilot Cid Highwind was. It didn't matter as Cid grappled with the remnant in mid air. Landing some good punches and avoiding the pile bunker on Loz's right, Cid maneuvered the remnant against the rock face, scraping his head against the mountain as they fell.

Loz screamed and kicked Cid in the back of his head, sending the pilot bouncing off the same rock face, falling dazed. He hit his head with a sickening crack, just above his left temple.

Blinking the blood out of his eyes, he saw Tifa laying it to the enemy, bless her. But looking beyond her, the ground was rushing up to intercept them a lot faster than he anticipated.

Cid allowed himself one last selfish moment of reflection. The only regret he harbored was that he and Tifa never really got a chance to really be together, an only now at the end did they see what they really wanted.

Fate, however, was much more merciful than that as it turned out. Out of the corner of his eye, Cid caught sight of Cait Sith, backpack and all descending in the proper skydiving manner.

Giving Cid a jaunty salute, he adjusted his body from a spread-eagled stance to a streamlined one, pointing down to the ground with his arms at his sides. The arrow-like posture allowed him to descend faster, to reach Tifa. Cid squinted, seeing the fait green glow of materia being used.

To be honest, Cid didn't know just what Cait Sith had done. Tifa was still falling, as was he when Cait Sith preformed his magic on both him.

Loz was the only one who didn't receive Cait Sith's special treatment, and he fell to the ground, screaming the entire way. Cid couldn't see every detail, but the red stain that suddenly appeared gave him all he needed to know.

After seeing what awaited him on the ground, Cid's stomach jumped ship and darted back up to the top of the mountain. If he had the time, he could have counted the blades of grass he was about to splatter onto.

In his final moments, Cid glanced over to Tifa. She simply gave him a sad smile and closed her eyes. Bless her, she was facing her end so bravely. To be honest, Cid would have liked a final drink and smoke, in addition to a large meal, followed by a long lovemaking session with his woman, not four feet away.

But that's the way the cards were dealt. Cid closed his eyes, breathing deeply and waiting for the end…

… and found himself slowing to a float, about six inches off the ground. Tifa rested to a halt, right beside him.

"What the hell is this?!" Cid said, looking around.

"Float materia!" Cait Sith called jovially as he came to rest right beside the two. "Keeps you off the ground!"

"Well, get me back ON the ground!" Cid snapped. "I've had enough skydiving for one day!"

"Oh, right!" Cait Sith said, reversing the spell. Cid and Tifa landed softly, as Cait Sith ran to Loz's broken body as it began to dissolve into the green mist that signaled its return to the Lifestream.

Cid sank back against the rock, catching his breath. The breaths he took were deep and luxurious, soaking up the oxygen rich air he was used to at these altitudes. While Cait Sith was occupied, he gathered Tifa into his arms and kissed her passionately.

Her right leg popped backwards in sudden appreciation as she deepened the kiss, just as thankful as he was to be alive and able to perform this delightful service.

It was Tifa's PHS unit that broke them apart, and only at Tifa's insistence to answer it. If Cid had his way, she would have been forced to ignore it. Heaving a happy sigh out, she answered. After a few brief nods and a "Don't worry, we got him.", she said "Okay. Meet you back in town."

Closing the small phone, she said "Everybody else took care of the copies inside the mountain. We're to head back to Yuffie's dads."

Spotting his spear stuck into the ground nearby, Cid wrenched it out and said "No rest for the wicked."

"Even less for the poor." Tifa finished, with a warm smile.

Cid chuckled, the intense fear he felt a few moments ago long forgotten. "Let's go then. It's getting' late."


	18. Chapter 18: Following the BlackCaped Man

Chapter 18: Following the Black Caped Man

The trip back into the city was a delightfully bland, but exhausting enterprise. Aside from the constant running and fighting, as well as the side effects of oxygen deprivation on the mountain, the three walking into the sunset had been on their feet for the better part of the entire day.

Cid grumbled that Cait Sith had it made, riding on Tifa shoulder to keep up. The girl simply stuck her tongue out playfully at him, receiving a sharp slap on the rump for her insolence.

The scarlet sunset had lit up the western sky by the time they arrived into the estate grounds. The main group of the party had beaten them to the punch. They had already proceeded with reassuring the survivors of the town, and helping them to take the first steps of rebuilding their lives.

The arrival of the three others brought about smiles from most of the group. Rude nodded and said "You made it out, did you?"

Yuffie's response was a shade warmer. "You guys okay?" She asked, running up to the new arrivals with the air of a worried mother.

"Fine." Cid said, tossing his finished butt away. "I'm startin' to see why you like materia so much."

"We got him." Cait Sith announced. "It got kinda dodgy at times, but we got what we came for."

"Glad to hear it." Cloud said. "That was one hell of a fight we just went through."

"You're telling me." Tifa said, with a small laugh. "What about the copies?"

"We shut down their facility inside the mountain." Tseng said. "If you've taken out the leader, we can safely assume that this region will remain safe."

Yuffie nodded solemnly. "Yeah, there are good spirits here to protect the people."

Cid frowned. "Odd thing to say, shrimp. What's eatin' you?"

Yuffie gulpd down a breath and said softly "During the initial attack, my father spearheaded the defensive. He got everyone to shelter, but…"

Cid winced from the sting of the words he had just used. His timing with such things had always been lousy.

Tifa gasped. "Yuffie, I'm so sorry." She whispered.

The ninja shook her head. "He died on his feet in the face of the enemy to protect innocent people. I can't think of a better way to go. Besides, I'll always remember him with this."

She weighed the shiruken in her hands and gave a brave smile. "I'm okay, really. I just need to get back to work."

"You sure you still want to come with us?" Cloud said. "We understand if you want to stay here and help your people."

Yuffie shook her head. "I'm coming with you guys even if I have to stow away on the airship. Trust me, you guy need my help."

Cloud nodded. "Okay. Only if you're sure."

As the night waned on, Cid began to muse that he should get back into adventuring just for the food. At the rate they were saving villages from the hard targets they sought, he would eat well for the rest of his life.

He wasn't terribly partial to the local sushi, that had predominated the last meal he ate in this city two days ago, but the stir-fry, tempura and teriyaki didn't last long between him and Barret. The local beer was smooth, and the life began to flow back into the town.

The star glittered above the town like diamonds, unfettered by the usage of Mako energy or other heavy electrical sources. Unlike the last time the party stayed in the city, they stayed in the local inn taking the night on the ground, resting up for the next leg of the trip.

As a first step in his attack, Loz knocked out the city's main power generator, so the light was provided by old fashioned candles and fires. After the lights were doused in the small, comfortable room, Cid shut his eyes leant back in the cot, drinking in the sweet scent of Tifa's hair next to him.

She curled up next to him, pressing her lips gently along his jaw line. He grinned and stroked her hair, marveling at how soft it was. The shower they had both taken had relaxed them both, providing a warm sense of sleepiness and comfort.

"Crazy shit today, hey?" Cid said, groggily as he opened his eyes and turned to his girl.

"No kidding." Tifa said with a wry half smile. "I thought that was it for the both of us today."

"Remind me to bring a parachute next time." Cid said with a single shot laugh before he kissed Tifa gently. Her lips still tasted slightly of the toothpaste she used. "You mean the world to me, yanno that?"

Tifa gave a full smile when she heard that, amplified by her fair skin and the blue bathrobe that was all she wore. "That's the first time anyone's ever said that to me." She said softly, nuzzling closer into Cid's shoulder.

"Well, get used to hearing it." Cid said, kissing her again. "Because that's the truth."

Closing his eyes again, Cid listened to Tifa's contented sigh and let himself sink into the mattress and a deep, well-earned sleep.

---

The party left Wutai early in the morning, finding that Yuffie hadn't slept. She spent the night making the arrangements for her late father, and putting her own house in order. Once again, she assured the party that she would be coming along and that she would get some sleep on the airship.

If she could keep breakfast down, that was.

The trip back to the airship was made early enough to enjoy the sunrise, and before traveling became to hot an undertaking. Once she was back in the air, Yuffie went to one of the vacant quarters while the rest of the team contacted Reeve.

The news sat well with the WRO chief. "_At the rate you're going, we'll all get the weekend off_." He said with a wintery smile. " _Two for two, and we're halfway there_."

"Well, we only have the last remnant to go, and the big one. " Cloud said. "Has anything come up?"

"_We recieved a signal from Bone Village_." Reeve said. "_All that came through was static, but it's all we've got to go on_."

"Bone Village?" Tseng said, thoughtfully. He rested an elbow that supported his chin on an arm that crossed his midsection. "That's an archaeological dig on the northern continent, isn't it?"

"What possible interest could one of the targets have in that area of the world?" Elena said, crossing her arms. The closest thing to any kind of city up there is the Icicle Inn, or Modeoheim. And we made sure that Yazoo's operation had been shut down."

"There's one other possibility." Vincent said, detaching himself from the wall he leant on and uncrossing his arms from their neutral, indifferent stance. "The Forgotten City."

Cloud nodded, his expression unreadable. "I remember. The remnants used it as a base of operations."

Vincent nodded. "It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that they would try to do so again. And that leaves only one possibility."

"_Kadaj_." Reeve said. Cloud agreed. "Only he would be so arrogant as to try the same trick twice. Besides, the easiest way to reach the Forgotten City is through Bone Village, ever since we woke up the Sleeping Forest years ago. It all fits."

Reeve gave an agreeing single-shot nod. "_I leave it your hands, then. Just ensure that the cells you've recovered are secure. I can't imagine the trouble you went through to get them_."

Cid smiled ruefully. "Yeah, and I don't wanna go through that again."

Reeve ignored the remark ."_Report back when you've eliminated the next target. Tuesti out_."

With their next objective in sight, Cid returned to the bridge and brought the airship around, starting the second circuit back and forth between Wutai and the Northern Continent. Cid put a fresh pot of tea onto his nearby burner as he marveled at the golden waves below the airship along the horizon.

He knew that Tifa had gone down below to check on Yuffie. She would never have asked for it, but Cid hand a feeling that the girl needed to talk to someone. And he knew for a fact that she considered Tifa her best friend, so he wasn't about to interfere.

Laying a finger on the pack of smokes in the headband of his goggles, Cid paused for a moment and decided against lighting up. It was still early in the day, and the lack of oxygen up on Da-Chao made him all the more aware of just how much punishment his lungs had taken already.

Taking a sip from the metal mug he kept close by, Cid sighed contentedly as he kept a sure hand on the helm, enjoying the slight aftertaste of the tea that reached all the way up into his sinuses. Locking the course into the autopilot computer, Cid allowed his mind to drift.

The hours drifted by without Cid noticing, until he felt a soft hand at the back of his neck, bringing him in for a tender embrace.

Cid was only to happy to reply to such a greeting, as he took a hand off the wheel to wrap around Tifa's midsection, drawing her closer.

When they broke apart, Cid held Tifa close for a brief moment before they parted. "How you feelin', girl?" He asked, softly.

"Better." Tifa said, sitting down on an inactive console. "Yuffie's doing a lot better. Had a good cry and got it out of her system."

Cid nodded, and didn't press the issue. Throughout the last two hours of the trip, they shared stories from their respective pasts, killing time. Each time Tifa laughed from one of his exploits, it made Cid feel seven feet tall and bulletproof. Even just having her around bolstered his self-assuredness, feeling like he actually meant something to somebody. Whatever he felt for Tifa, -was it love? It sure seemed like it - he would see to it that they both kept feeling that way, come hell or high water.

---

Just forty-five minutes out from the coast of the Northern Continent, _Highwind_ intercepted a large storm front. Cid dropped the altitude down, so as to avoid any direct lightning hits.

One of the upgrades Cid installed and energy sheath about the airship. It absorbed any energy strikes, such as lightning or basic magic attacks, and redirected it off the ship's hull. Effective as it was, a few direct hits could overload the system and cause more damage.

The low altitude approach didn't help too much. The airship lurched as the electronic components of the filtration system display shorted out, showering that side of the bridge with sparks and the sharp scent of ozone.

Cid cursed and punched the intership toggle. "Attention! All hands to action stations! Move!"

Activating the outboard radar assembly, Cid kept both hands on the helm. He glanced to Tifa and said dryly "Hold on, honey. Looks like it's time for more crazy shit to go down!"

Technicians scrambled onto the bridge, rushing to the vacant duty stations. Cid fought the controls, struggling to keep the airship level against the gale force winds. Another hit shorted out the main lighting, plunging the bridge into darkness. Only the multicolored lights on the console provided any illumination.

"Get those lights back on!" Cid shouted, wrestling with the wheel. "What the hell just happened?"

"We took a direct hit on the port aft quarter!" One of the technicians called. "Port engine down to forty percent!"

"How the hell is that possible?" Cid snapped back. "There are four layers of shielding around the engines!!"

"This isn't an ordinary storm."

Cloud made his way onto the bridge as he announced his observation, leading the rest of the team. Cid snorted. "Then what the hell is this?"

"It's magically enhanced." Yuffie said, looking pale. "Some Bolt, Aero, maybe some Contain materia in there too."

"More than that!" The materia techincian called from the radar station. "We're picking up a massive contact soming right at us!"

"Hang on!" Cid called, shaking his head trying to concentrate. It felt like he was trying to do calculus through the head cold from hell. Nothing seemed clear, and it was hard enough to remember to stay on his feet, let alone steer the ship. This inhibition of his concentration grated on Cid's frayed nerves, shortening the fuse on his temper.

The _Highwind_ wheeled about, bringing the transparent forward screen to bear on the incoming bogey.

The ugly maw of the beast made half the crew jump, and it nearly took of the portside engine as it hurtled past. On the small radar screen, Cid saw it turn and head back for their position.

"Was that…?" Barret asked, taking an instinctive step back.

"Yeah, it was." Yuffie said. "Kadaj must have known we were coming, that's why he's created this storm and sent Typhoon after us!"

Cid cursed again, a lot louder this time. "Johnson, get on the tactical station! I think we got a little surprise for this bastard!"

The materia technician nodded, leaping across the bridge to activate the tactical console. It looked ridiculously out of place, seeming to belong more in a video arcade than an airship bridge, but Cid knew that it was sturdy, accurate and reliable.

"Going to full speed!" Cid called out. "Aim high and hit this jackass hard!"

Yuffie clutched the back of the fire control chair and began to force herself to breathe normally as the engines strained under the paced Cid put them under, far exceeding their design limits.

"Targeting!" Johnson called back, grabbing ahold of the firing controls. "We'll need someone down in the armory to control the reloads, though."

"I'll take care of it," Barret said, before he rushed out the door.

"Target's coming up!" one of the technicians bawled. "Fifty meters and closing fast!"

"Fire!" Cid shouted, keeping the ship level. The ship resisted his grasp, the strain on the helm setting his arms ablaze with pain. The nagging lack of concentration didn't help matters any. He could feel his frustratation rising, like someone had lined his shirt with itching powder. And he was fresh out of soothing lotion

"Aft missiles away!" Johnson called, the anxiety he obviously felt painfully apparent in his voice.

The _Highwind_ rocked as the crackling whoosh of the missiles escaping their aft emitter reverberated throughout the ship. One the small radar screen on Cid's master control board, the missiles launched from in between the two engine pods appeared as small numbered green blips, homing in on the large red contact.

Seconds later, all the blips showed that they impacted on the target. Even above the deafening thunder, the howling wind and the straining roar of the engines, Typhoon's wounded shriek was audible.

"We've hurt him!" Johnson said, now giddy with the idea that success was possible. Unlikely, but still possible. "Armory, reload aft batteries and stand by on forward missiles."

Cid tapped a small sequence of buttons, cutting the engines to minimum, slowing the airship down. Turning her to starboard, Typhoon sped past the airship.

Cid barked "Fire forward!"

The same electronic crack accompanied the missiles' launch, detonating along the summon's backside. Just ahead, the bridge crew could see parts of it blown off, blood pouring out of the fresh wound.

"Secondary munitions, fire!" Cid shouted, punching Highwind back up to full speed.

Far less powerful chain guns about the airships bow opened fire, shredding the flesh on the summon's side. Cid's arms were strained to the breaking pint as he battled the wind, fighting for control of the ship.

Another electronic explosion shorted out the Master Systems Display. Out of the smoke, one of the technicians cried out "Main control conduits have overloaded! They've shorted out!"

"Bypass through the secondaries!" Cid shouted as the airship began to tilt with the wind. "I need helm control!"

"Bypassing," The technician called. "The autosquencer's been damaged!"

"Switch to manual, or fix it with a rubber band!" Cid snapped. "Just get me helm control!"

"He's coming back!" Johnson cried. "Twenty meters and closing!"

"Fire forward batteries, point blank!" Cid yelled, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Typhoon was making a kamikaze run!

"Forward missiles, fire!"

The electronic crack of the missiles fire nearly overlapped the sonic boom of the missile's detonation. They cleaved a path clean through the summon, ripping it to pieces.

The shreds of the pinkish flesh quickly began to lose altitude, but they retained some of their momentum. Parts of the large corpse rained down on the airship, bits of bone denting the hull and tearing off the dorsal sensor array.

Inside, the pandemonium was just beginning. The impact cast much of the crew onto the deck, shorting out the lights again and starting fires all over the ship.

Outside, the storm battered the ship even more. Without primary helm control, the ship was tossed about like a proverbial leaf in the literal storm. The only silver lining to the insane roller coaster ride from hell was that they had finally reached the beachfronts of the Northern Continent.

Consistent with the bad luck scenario the part found themselves in, a lighting bolt hit _Highwind_ amidships, overloading the electrical dissapation system and sending her into an uncontrolled spiral into the ground. She hit the ground on her starboard side, the engines propelling her a good mile or so before they cut out, leaving a large scar in the earth.

Inside her hull, the crew was tossed about like a collection of rag dolls in possession of a particularly violent child. A terrific blow hit Cid right above his left eyebrow and the world went dark.


	19. Chapter 19: Sephiroth's Shadow

Chapter 19: Sephiroth's Shadow

The time that passed in the dark, smoky command center of the airship _Highwind _could have easily been seconds, or days. Cid blinked his eyes open, seeing the bridge bathed in a blood red emergency light.

It was then that the pain hit him. His arm was numb from resting on it on an awkward angle for God only knows how long, and warm blood oozed out of the aching abrasion above his left eyebrow. The console he hit his head on had just missed his goggles and impacted onto his face. Cid cursed and wiped part of the blood away, smearing red all over his left glove.

The entire bridge smelled of smoke and was consumed by chatter, punctuated by the occasional groan of pain. Cid managed to ease himself into a sitting position, still having a hard time concentrating. He gave his head in a vain attempt to clear his concentration.

Suddenly, the most important thing in his life came rushing back to him. And almost as if he'd wished her into existence, there she was, kneeling down beside him, asking if he was all right.

"Fine," Cid growled. "Thing that got hurt most was my pride, I haven't crashed a bird this bad for fifteen years!" His annoyance at his error faded as he saw a large red mark on Tifa's arm. It looked okay, but if there was an internal injury, a break or a ruptured vein, the outboard appearance meant nothing. "You okay though, hon?"

Tifa nodded. "Just a bruise, that's all. Looks like the ships' not doing so good, though."

Cid looked around, trying to get his bearings. _Highwind _rested on her starboard side, giving the bridge a topsy-turvy feel that struck Cid as incredibly unsettling. He called for a damage report, helping the others to revive the unconscious members of the crew.

As he pulled Johnson to his feet, one of the red-toqued WRO technicians came up to Cid with a small PDA in his hands. "Captain, we haven't been able to make a full report on the damage without main power, but we've been able to get most of our systems analyzed."

Cid nodded. "Let's have it, kid."

"The port thrust engine's taken a severe beating. It'll need to be replaced eventually, but I think we can jury-rig it for the time being. Hull plating's buckled in seven sections, nothing that the onboard patches can't fix. The dorsal sensor array is completely gone, but we still have some sensor capability. Casualties are reported as light, with no fatalities."

"So we can make do with what we've got then?" Cid said, folding his arms. When the technician verified his statement, Cid said "Well, we got lucky. This could have been much worse. Okay, damage control first and foremost. All able-bodied crew, report outside. We're gonna try to get this beast back right side up."

"What about Kadaj?" Cloud said, on his feet and wearing a look of disgust. "He's still out there, and we're just gonna let him go?"

"Of course not!" Cid snorted back, appalled by Cloud's ignorance. "But we gotta have some kind of way of getting out of here before we take care of him. So unless you got some Airship Repair materia on you, I can't think of a better way to get this bird flying again. So get out there and give us a hand."

Cid popped the nearby emergency hatch to clamber outside, but Cloud wasn't finished. "I don't recognize your authority here, Highwind!"

Cid turned slowly, facing the swordsman who had come right up to him. They were about the same height, but Cloud's hair negated that inch or so that Cid had on him. "You wanna get out of here or not?" He felt the proverbial fuse lit, and quickly burning down until he would snap. Cloud was just a posturing kid who really needed to learn his place. "I'm gonna be out there too, so don't think for one goddamn minute I'm gonna be all queeny and squeamish about getting' my hands dirty!"

Cloud stabbed a finger into Cid's chest, sneering at the pilot. "Yeah, you're real quick to get your hands into anything, especially where they don't belong!"

_Takes two to tango, Strife!_ "So suddenly you're an expert on the subject? All I thought you knew how to do was run away when you got it made!"

Cloud visibly stiffened as his Mako eyes brightened. A line had been crossed as he quickly drew back and smashed a solid fist against Cid's jaw. The materia-enhanced impact sent the pilot reeling backwards, tasting the deck once more. A small trickle of coppery tasting fluid emerged from the right corner of his mouth, seeping down his chin. One of his canine teeth had punctured the inside of his mouth, drawing blood.

_No need to go easy on the little bastard, then!_ Cid quickly got back to his feet as he saw the next blow coming, and exactly how to defend against it. It was originally conceived to defend against a knife attack in such close quarters, but here would work just as well.

Cloud aimed a punch at Cid's nose this time. The pilot already had it broken once before, he didn't want to go through that again. He blocked Cloud's blow, delivering a sharp jab to his sternum. As he recoiled, Cid jabbed upwards, with an open palmed impact that hit Cloud's jaw.

Delivered in the right place, such a move could kill a man. In this situation, the worst that could happen was a few broken teeth. Cloud was blasted backwards, collapsing to the deck. He gasped, dazed from the blow he's just taken.

Cerberus cracked, the sound of the discharge amplified by the close quarters. Everyone jumped, looking to the gunslinger.

"Look at the both of you." Vincent said, lowering the gun. "Get ahold of yourselves, this isn't about personal glory."

"He's right," Tifa said, stepping forward. The shock written on her face seconds ago was being erased and replaced with anger. She positioned herself between the two, for fear that they might hit each other again. "We'll get this ship right side up, and then we can leave the ship in the crew's hands for repairs. We can go after Kadaj then, satisfied."

Cloud nodded, massaging his jaw as he stood. Cid agreed and jumped through the hatch. Unfolding the flight jacket tied around his waist, Cid had a nagging suspicion that it was the distinct chill in Tifa's voice that forced both of them into agreement, as well as dropped the temperature a good ten degrees.

As more of team emerged into the pounding rain, the air about the airship had taken on a decidedly tense feeling. Aside from the small scuffle that had occurred on the overturned bridge, everyone else seemed to have the same difficulty concentrating. Tempers were short, conversations were curt and to-the-point.

Using Float materia to levitate the airship slightly, the teams used Exit materia and shovels to clear out the earth around the ship to make it easier for the landing struts to grab onto the ground.

As soon as _Highwind _was restored to her proper landing configuration, Cid looked over the damage. He cursed under his breath as the real extent of the damage to the ship. He had always maintained the maxim that "Anything can be fixed, except maybe a broken heart". Even so, he hated making the same repairs twice, especially since such a good job had been done last time.

Even more aggravating was that he wouldn't be able to supervise the repair efforts himself. The former AVALANCHE and Turk parties had geared up to proceed ahead to the Forgotten City. However, for what it was worth, he left exacting instructions to the technicians not to change anything major. "_Highwind_ just showed us how tough she really is. I don't want any of that strength repaired out of her."

Without the benefit of umbrellas, the party trudged their way towards the Bone Village excavation site, the same storm plaguing their journey to the site. Tseng's PDA pointed them in the right direction and the large trees provided some measure of protection from the high-velocity water projectiles hurtling down upon them.

The party rarely spoke to one another, only when it was necessary. Cid wasn't the only one who found himself irritable and cranky. His cigarettes didn't help much, even after he transferred them to his inside pockets for better protection against the elements. Even Tifa kept her distance, giving Cid a cold feeling of dread. But it gave the old pilot a bit of gratification that Cloud was receiving the same cold shoulder treatment.

At any rate, Cid knew he'd feel better once this job was done. Then, just maybe, a good deal of damage control of a different nature might be able to take place. How he would be able to counteract this cold shoulder treatment, he really didn't know. But that was a problem for a different time and place.

The silent trip to Bone Village seemed to take forever. When the eternity ended, the site was abandoned, just as the party had expected. The wooden planks that made up the path were slippery and tedious over the small sea of muddy water, forcing the party to proceed single-file.

The archaeological dig was just as dead as the name implied. The team that was stationed out here was nowhere to be found, meaning one of two things; either they were already dead or they had been captured and turned into copies.

The team had elected to take a rest break here, under one of the abandoned tents. Stale rations were passed around, the long since prime taste of the already bland ration bars making Cid crave one of Shera's brilliant turkey sandwiches, or some of her ginger snaps and hot toddies.

Cid mentally slapped himself _Hell, things must be gettin' rough if I'm startin' to miss Shera!_

Even relaxing from the strain of traveling, everyone still seemed on edge. Tifa had decided on eating alone, Reno had opened a pack of smokes he claimed he hadn't needed for two years, and even Vincent seemed to be getting angry. Cid only prayed that nobody agitated him. He saw firsthand the kind of Cain the monster inside Vincent could raise on enemy forces. He had no desire to fight such a creature as that.

The painfully tense rest break gave way for another trudge through the Sleeping Forest. Part of the way through, the trees began to turn from their traditional green and brown into a surreal white. The hillside began to slope into a narrow ravine, where the white trees bloomed to above the maw of the chasm. Within the protective veil of the bizarre flora, lay an archaeologist's dream. The Forgotten City.

And inside, was Kadaj.

"Okay, this is it." Cloud said, to nobody in particular. To Cid, it sounded like he was steeling himself for what needed to be done.

Personally, Cid just wanted to get the whole damnedable thing over an done with, that way there was just one target left. He was getting pretty damn tired of all this running around the world.

"Well, let's get dis show on the road!" Barret said, priming his weapon. "I'm gettin' sick an' all goddamn tired of all this rain."

"Yeah," Tifa agreed, repressing a shiver. "Let's do this."

Cloud agreed with a single nod, and led the way through the small cluster of trees and into the eerie city the Ancients built, untold centuries ago.

The tension evaporated from the team, replaced by an undercurrent of anxiety. The still forest seemed to accentuate and enhance every sound, even the lightest footstep. There weren't even animals about, enhancing the city's feeling of death, and neglect. The ghostlike trees seemed to glare down at the party, as if blaming them for the solitude they had experienced since the Ancients had left.

The grounds of the ancient city were just as they had been, ever since the encounter Vincent saved Cloud from two years ago. The original inhabitants hadn't disturbed the stagnant area, their bones having turned to dust centuries ago.

But the dead had left ghosts behind, sentinels that manifested themselves as figments of the imagination. These psychological attacks, stirring the repressed childhood fears and superstitions, were far more dangerous than any sword or gun. If one couldn't master their own fear, they had no chance in a fight.

As the party penetrated deeper and deeper into the forest, the rain had ceased. It was possible it was still pouring down, but the canopy of trees had grown so thick that nothing got through. The cold remained though, keeping everyone on alert.

The trees finally gave way to reveal a large lake, containing depths that were fatally invisible to the passive eye. The familiar large shell-like structure on the far shore beckoned to them, promising that whatever they were looking for was here.

Cloud looked into the lake for a moment, thin lipped. It was here that Aerith's lifeless body had find its final resting place.

The party entered the giant shell, greeted by the familiar sight of the seabed-like decorations on the walls. So detailed were the replicas of a reef, one could easily mistake it for being granted the ability to breathe underwater.

Standing at the start of the blue crystal staircase to the actual city, was a slender man in tight black clothing, with silver hair that reached to the small of his back. The double bladed katana at his side affirmed his identity.

Kadaj gave a soft huff. "I'm surprised that you all found me."

"You were too predictable." Cloud said, drawing the Ultima Sword.

"Always on the defensive, brother." Kadaj turned to face the party. The cat-like green eyes stared deep into Cloud's, his smile never wavering. "Can't say I really blame you. I'm curious. Why me? Why, out of all the others did you come after me?"

"The others are dead." Tseng said, stepping forward. He held his standard .45 ACP pistol in his left hand, and the energy pistol in his right. "You other two companions are dead, as are you and your minions."

"Minions?" Kadaj laughed. "You think I'm going to degrade myself to mass producing bad replicas of a pretentious play-actor? Not me. You need to see the big picture."

"No copies?" Cloud said, frowning. Nobody had expected this.

"Come one, I'm better than that!" Kadaj snorted. "My powers far outweigh the interest of some pathetic LOVELESS reenactment. Let me show you!"

Kadaj sent a high powered Shadow Flare spell at the party, devastating in these close quarters. The party dove for the cover of the higher level, just catching a glimpse of Kadaj as he sprinted down the staircase.

Charging though the smoke and fresh debris, Cloud led the charge after him, reaching the vast underground city. The buildings were still beautifully preserved, almost as if an entire township could move in and feel right at home.

They wouldn't have thought much of their neighbor, though. Kadaj leapt out from behind a large three story house, spinning like a top. The katana was being whipped about with Kadaj, threatening to shred whatever it came into contact with to ribbons.

Cloud brought his own blade up into a defensive stance, intercepting the blade, as well as the next three attacks from Kadaj. Calling upon his swords' dormant abilities, - in this case, Ultima magic - Cloud unleashed a Blade beam attack, reinforced with the powerful ability his sword housed.

The beam demolished a nearby house, and seriously damaged two others nearby. Kadaj had leapt clear at the last minute, and deflected the shots coming from the gunslingers coming down the long set of stairs.

As he landed, Tifa dashed in to deliver a series of one-two punches, delivered with machine gun speed and power. Kadaj took the majority of her hits, and counterattacked with a spin kick, sending her spiraling. He didn't have time to revel in his delight, for her somersaulted out of the way to avoid a charged shot form Barret.

The Corelite's cannon had exhausted its energy capacitor, making another shot impossible. He ducked behind cover while the weapon recharged, venting steam as it did so.

Flanking the remnant from the left, Cid let loose a powerful Thundaga spell, electrifying the area around Kadaj. The electricity blew out the primitive windows, but didn't harm Kadaj, thanks to the Bolt ring he wore. However, he had just intercepted the Braver slash Cloud had tried to bludgeon his head in with. The two swords acted as a lightning rod, electrocuting Cloud while he was still in the air.

If it weren't such a funny euphemism, Cid would have sworn Cloud's hair stood on end. He shivered for a few moments, charged by the electrical magic, before the shock sent him flying back, landing face down.

Tifa acted quickly, sending a Cure spell to revive Cloud. She may not have been impressed with his conduct, but the party needed all the help they could get if they were to have any hope of taking down Kadaj.

Smoking slightly, Cloud got back to his feet. He ducked out of the way to avoid a sideswipe from Kadaj, The flash attack had torn up the sidewalk under his feet, piling up when he dug in his heels to turn quickly.

The mime materia Vincent had recovered from Yazoo along with the handgun served him well, mimicking Barret's rapid fire Ungarmax move, emptying the fifty round magazine his tricked-out Griffon submachine gun housed. Ducking behind a smoking ruin, he ejected the round drum magazine, replacing it with a fresh one.

However good Vincent's gunsmith was at improving his weapons' rate of fire, Kadaj was faster. The shots had missed Kadaj, but to hit the remnant wasn't their purpose. The Shock-infused rounds, discharged at more than twice their usual rate of fire, weakened the burned out ruin of a house, partially demolished by a Firaga blast. Kadaj had leapt inside it, seeking cover from Barret's limit break.

The house began to collapse onto Kadaj, who barely escaped in time. The burning timber caught part of his cape, setting it ablaze.

Cid tossed a lit stick of dynamite towards the remnant, who was attempting to beat out the flames. Too late did he recognize the explosive that landed by his feet. Half a second later, it went off, blasting Kadaj forwards to smash through a depilated building.

The remnant groaned, feeling the full effects of the impact seconds after he had landed. Casting a quick White Wind spell to keep him on his feet, he opted to pull out the heavy artillery.

In addition to the other bits of materia he had installed on his forearms, the red orb by his elbow glowed brightly as a gateway opened in mid air, just shy of the ceiling.

"Oh, _hell_ no!" Barret shouted, causing the party to turn their gazes skyward.

Out of the fissure between worlds, the large King of Dragons, Bahamut emerged, roaring loudly. Everyone knew that such a noise from a mythical beast such as this, meant that a fight was inevitable.

"Take cover!" Cid shouted as a bright blue energy shot from the summon rained down onto the village, decimating entire blocks. In response, gunfire and materia was directed skyward towards the summon, hitting it with everything they had.

Cloud winced as a cloud of shrapnel missed his face by millimeters. Remembering the tactical training he received as a Shinra Infantryman, he preformed a quick turn in between two walls, separated only be an opening the size of a door. The idea was to perform this action quickly, keeping a low profile so an enemy couldn't get a bead on you.

The Jenova cells inside Cloud had enhanced his awareness to such a degree that he was even able to send a Matra Magic spell toward Bahamut. Damned little difference it made, he might as well have thrown one of the nearby rocks at it.

Above him, atop one of the intact structures, Yuffie called out "Time to give a little of what we've been taking!"

Raising her Ninji Flashbang, she called another summon into existence. Out of city block on the far side of the village, Ifirit burst out of the Earth, hurtling towards Bahamut.

As the two summons grappled and fought, roaring and bellowing loud enough to shake the cavern to collapse, Cloud glanced off to the side, seeing Kadaj limp away, making for the altar on the far side of the city.

Cloud down a quick Potion to give him a small burst of strength and called for Cait Sith to follow him. The housecat scrambled up his arm, and Cloud leapt off after the remnant.

After he sprinted away, dodging and weaving around the spells Kadaj sent after him and raining debris alike, an ice cube of dread slid down Cloud's gullet and into his stomach, chilling him to the bone. Ifirit had lost his battle with Bahamut, who now continued to rain destruction down onto the town site.

Was anyone hurt? Had anyone been killed? Who's blood did he have on his hands this time? Who had he ordered to their death? Who else had he failed?

Cloud gave his head a shake, trying to clear it. As well as he could, anyway. There was still a damper on his concentration, a distinct lack of focus that ate away at him and kept him from fighting his hardest.

A terrific explosion erupted behind him, the concussive force sending Cloud sprawling onto the ground. Coughing, he scrambled back to his feet, ensured that Cait Sith was still with him and continued after Kadaj.

Leaping into the air, Cloud dashed forward to deliver a Braver strike that could have easily cleaved Kadaj in half. The remnant sidestepped the attack, quickly running out of room on the small alter.

Cloud turned quickly, bringing the Ultima Sword back to a defensive posture, just barely intercepting Kadaj's blade. The small parry sortie they exchanged didn't last long, for Kadaj delivered a boot to Cloud's jaw. He used the brief moment of having his opponent stunned to leap over his head and sent another Shadow Flare raining down.

Cloud cleaved through it and counterattacked with a fire-based Beta spell. The opposite side of the altar was engulfed in flame, just as Kadaj had touched down. He leapt back up into the air just as the flames began to catch onto his clothing. Cloud followed him up, slashing hard. After a brief, but ruthless fight, Cloud achieved a small bit of leverage against Kadaj.

It wasn't much, but it was enough. With a bit of leg work, Cloud planted Kadaj down onto the ruined alter, driving the Ultima Sword down into Kadaj's midsection.

It was part of using swords that one had to be up close and personal to kill your enemies. But one never really gets used to killing, not if they wanted to keep a scrap of their humanity. When Cloud drove the sword, coupled with all of his weight into Kadaj, perforating the remnant, the kill seemed so much more personal. He saw Kadaj's eyes roll back into his head, saw the body go limp and felt the final shudder of breath.

Perhaps it was more of a hit closer to home because, in an ironic twist of fate, this was where Aerith had met her end. In almost these exact same circumstances. This time, it was he who was responsible.

Before Cloud could have a chance to feel guilty for what he had done, the yellow materia on Kadaj's left arm went dark. Cloud blinked as he felt his head beginning to clear, concentration becoming easier. The negative thoughts and feelings that had been plaguing him all day lifted like a curtain, leaving a refreshed feeling and a sense of purpose.

And as Cait Sith began to collect the Jenova cells from the lifeless body, he began to become more aware of the carnage behind him. Blue explosions glittered the city line, while Bahamut circled above like a buzzard.

As soon as Cait Sith gave him the thumbs up, Cloud grabbed ahold of a nearby cable that connected to the main part of the town and used it as a zipline, reaching the city quickly. He hit the ground running, not bothering to sheath his sword.

The City of the Ancients was a burning wreck. The entire city was ablaze, sending noxious black clouds of smoke into the top of the cavern. Breathing became nearly impossible without coughing up a pair of lungs.

Cloud's newfound sense of clarity had now been spoiled by the feeling he had now discovered hell. Still, he fought, sending his most powerful spells towards Bahamut.

After a fierce battle across all fronts, Bahamut screamed out, losing altitude and control. It swept down for a close strafing run, when Cloud leapt onto a barely standing wall, and kicked off of it, landing square between Bahamut's wings.

As a large blast caught the dragon in the left side of the face, -possibly from Barret's particle cannon - Cloud was nearly bucked off. He grabbed onto the summons' scaly hide, feeling it buckle under the strain that everyone else unloaded onto it.

In retrospect, it probably would have been a safer course of action to remain on the ground, rather than to jump onto an airborne target that was in everyone's sights. One of the high-powered rounds from the surface had found a chink in the dragon's natural armor and exploited it.

Bahamut roared in pain, and took off after the offending gunner, Vincent. He leapt clear of the blast, giving Elena a chance to take out one it its yellow eyes with her sniper cannon.

As it reared its head, howling in agony, a sharp gust of wind, thank to Yuffie's Aero materia, sent the dragon crashing into the ceiling, sending bits of rubble raining down onto the ruined, burning city.

Cloud was pitched off of the summon's back, clutching for dear life on to the disrupted scales that were peeled off of the sides. He picked his feet up, doing his best to avoid a four blasts of Ultima magic from below, thanks to the abilites of Quadra Magic materia. The armor along Bahamut's ventral sides vaporized, exposing the mystical beast's innards. The final attacks from the party hit the vulnerable flesh, exposing its enlarged organs.

The summon weakened, beginning to lose control of itself. Cloud hauled himself back onto its back, ran up the spine all the way to the back of its skull and drove the Ultima sword in deep.

Bahamut screeched loudly in its death throes, falling to crash land into the Ancient city. Before the hard landing, Cloud leapt off onto the crumbling staircase, seeing the last of the party disappear through the entrance to the city.

The King of Dragon's impact onto the bottom level seemed to be more than the Forgotten City could take. The cavern, weakened by the gratuitous use of magic, and Bahamut's impact onto the ceiling had caused the entire cavern to collapse in on itself, not able to support the large shell structure up top any longer.

The staircase Cloud found himself on began to disintegrate underneath him, and he was only a quarter of the way up. He barreled up the stairs as they began to fall, gasping for breath. His lungs were on fire, which ignited his legs under the strain.

_Halfway there. Don't let up now! This is nothing! Remember the Shinra Tower? This doesn't hold a candle to that! You can make it if you just concentrate and get going! Come on!_

Ahead of him, Cait Sith, Tifa and Barret vanished ahead of him. That just left Vincent and Cid, and the gunslinger was already in the clear.

_Almost there! You can do it…._

The crystal staircase proved him wrong, as it gave way under Cloud, not six inches from the exit. He felt himself falling, down into the fiery abyss. He failed.

The silver lining, the only silver lining, was that he would be able to see Aerith again, not restricted by the land of the living, or the cares of being alive.

It was a curious thing to accept one's end. If you could see it coming, one could choose their last thoughts. Cloud's were the ones he had wanted to say to a certain member of the team, but never really got a chance, between his own pride and the recent tension.

_Take care of Tifa for me, will you? She deserves nothing short of the best. Give that to her._

And just as he felt gravity beginning to take him, a gloved hand caught him by the wrist. The sudden catch made the Ultima Sword fall out of Cloud's grasp, into the fires below.

Opening his eyes, Cid Highwind had his right hand on the ledge that had just been created by the lack of staircase, the other held onto Cloud's arm.

"You're not gettin' outta this one so easy!" He called, straining with effort to keep both of them from suffering the same fate as the sword.

Reaching up, Cloud grabbed ahold of the same ledge and both men pulled themselves out of the shell building before it collapsed into the large foundation below it.

Night had fallen outside, but the air had become considerably warmer than it had been before they went below. The party had collapsed onto the soft ground, coughing and panting as the reality that they had gone through hell, fought through the fires, and been the only thing that came out the other side intact sank in.

And to make the victory even sweeter, Cait Sith jovially announced that he had successfully procured the Jenova cells from Kadaj. This roused a mighty cheer from most of the party, while the others smiled broadly as they caught their breath.

Tifa came up to Cid and Cloud "You two okay?" She asked, rubbing her face. It had black soot marks and a couple of scratches, but she didn't seem hurt.

"Fine." Cloud nodded. Cid said "What'd I tell you, girl? More crazy shit."

Tifa gave a warm laugh. The sound bright smiles to both men's' faces as Cid tossed the finished cigarette butt away. She made sure that both of them were okay before she moved onto the others, tending to the wounds suffered below.

"Hey Cid," Cloud said slowly, hanging his head. "Listen…"

"What's on yer mind, kid?" The pilot asked, evenly.

"That bit of tension we had on the airship." Cloud said. "I just wanna say that, well, I'm sorry. What happened -"

"Was as much my fault as it was yours." Cid said. "I dunno what the fuck was goin' on, fuckin' with our heads through this whole shit-storm, but I wasn't in the right either." He extended his hand. "Truce?"

Cloud grinned and took the hand, grasping it firmly in one solid shake. "Truce."

"On that subject, what the hell was that, anyway?" Cid said, grimacing. "Felt like I was thinking through a bad fever or somthin'."

"Well, I noticed that he always had some materia active." Cloud said, removing a canteen from his belt and taking a long tug from it. "When I took him out it went dark, and it seemed like my head cleared right up."

"Materia?" Yuffie was right by his side barely after Cloud finished his sentence. "What color was it?"

"Yellow, I think." Cloud said, after he jumped from her sudden appearance. "Why?"

"I'll bet it was Manipulate materia." Yuffie nodded. "He was controlling all of our moods through it. Geez, the amount of concentration alone, and the stamina involved…"

"That actually makes a lot of sense." Cloud said, nodding slowly. "But, it's over now. Where to next?"

"Well, I dunno about you fools, but this train is about ready to jump the track." Barret said, heaving himself to a sitting position. "I'm beat. I say we camp here for the night."

Everyone agreed quickly, setting up the tents for the night and doing what they could to make the rations available a little more palatable.

Cid had just finished zipping up the flap on the tent containing two sleeping bags when he ventured off from the campsite for a moment, to enjoy a solitary smoke. Sure, everyone seemed to be in better spirits, but there was still a nagging feeling of dread in his stomach.

Not a second after he snapped his steel lighter shut and sat down on an old log did Tifa come around to him. "Can we talk?" She asked, kneading her hands.

Cid stiffened. He knew that this was one of the involuntary subtle signs she gave when delivering bad news, or when something was really eating at her. "What's up?" he asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.

Tifa sat down next to him, a conservative distance away. "Well, in the past day or so, things haven't been going well, you know. Far any of us." Cid grunted nonchalantly, and Tifa continued. "Ever since we encountered that storm, I've really felt like shit. Like I was depressed, and that nothing could make it better. And I know that we haven't been too terribly close as of late."

"How do you mean?" Cid asked slowly, trying to wean the truth out. Get it over with, make it as clean of a cut as he could. "Emotionally? Physically? Sexually?"

After a brief moment, Tifa said "All of the above. That distance has really taken a toll on how I've felt lately."

_Oh, hell. Here it comes. End of the line, old man. Remember what they say about all good things?_

"Well, now I've been feeling a lot better." Tifa said, edging closer to Cid. She did it carefully though, as if unsure of herself and him.

Cid finally got tired of waiting. "Hon, if you don't want me in yer life, just say so. You know me, I hate shit like this to be sugar-coated."

Tifa's lips went thin and it looked as if she was about to cry. "Do you want me to leave?" She asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

"Course not." Cid said, maybe a little too quickly. "I jus thought that after what happened with Cloud, you'd be too pissed at me to want this little love affair to go any further."

"Cid, I don't want to leave." Tifa said, taking one of his hands in her own. "I just want you to know how I've felt through all this. Yuffie told me about how we were being influenced from afar, I just want to make sure we're both us again, and that we're being honest with each other."

"That's all this was?" Cid said, feeling as if he was floating on his suddenly good mood. "You just wanted to make sure where we stand?"

Tifa nodded, and Cid gathered her in his arms for a deep, passionate kiss. She responded by snaking her arms around the back of his neck, sighing softly.

Time stood still in that moment, as Cid was noticing it tended to when he was with the woman he loved. When they finally broke apart for air, Cid recognized that familiar gleam of want in her burgundy-colored eyes.

As they made their way back to the tent, it was a service the pilot was only to happy to indulge her in.


	20. Chapter 20: A LOVELESS Reunion

Chapter 20: A LOVELESS Reunion

Camp was packed up early the nest morning, after breakfast. Cid and Barret bemoaned the fact that there would be no feast awaiting them this time, but Tifa whispered that she fully intended to repeat the previous night over and over again.

Cid whispered back that such a notion would be incentive enough, despite the scratch marks she left on his back. She had gotten a little carried away last night.

After ensuring that everything they had brought with them was safely stowed, the party started the long trek back to the airship. Cid contacted the men they left behind, checking up on the repairs. The fact that they had been completed - as per his instructions - elevated his mood.

As soon as they were clear of the ghostly white trees, the sunny sky gave them a warm greeting. Cid couldn't help but smile, feeling the warm sun on his face. A proverbial weight had been lifted off of not only his mood, but the entire party's.

Time seemed to fly as the Sleeping Forest sped by, causing the group to reach Bone Village just after noon. Stopping only to fill up the various canteens in their employ, the party pressed forward for the final hour and a half to the landing site.

The forest seemed to come alive with the generic wildlife that came with the usual forest package. Birds, insects, a couple of faint animal calls. Were the circumstances different, -without all the company, deadly materia and lethal weapons - it might have made for a romantic walk in the woods.

The upright stance of the mighty airship _Highwind_ was a welcome sight, the complete opposite of the downed, wounded piece of machinery they had arrived on the continent with.

Cid's first order of business was to double check the condition of the ship. He called for status reports from the team of six technicians, either nodding with approval or cursing at any change they might have made. Tifa smiled, seeing Cid in his element. The concern in his voice was evident to her, but could be missed by anyone else. This ship was his creation, his baby. It lent the pilot a new dimension, allowing Tifa to see a new side of him.

It made the chain-smoking pilot seem a little more real, an imperfection that reminded Tifa this wasn't a really good dream.

The others decided to rest up for the moment. Tifa took the liberty of opening up the cold stores on one of the lower cargo bays, setting up a small camp kitchen. Everyone pitched in to get a decent lunch going, presumably longing for real food as much as she was.

Considering to party's appetite, Tifa had opted to take out a good third of the cold stores, heating up some of the packaged lasagna-flavored casserole, mild sausages and a large pot of macaroni.

Augmented with juice crystals infused into the water canteens, the party sat in the sun, enjoying their first normal meal in almost two days. After ensuring that the food was set up in a makeshift buffet, Tifa gathered two plates together and headed inside the airship for a moment. The crew of technicians had joined the rest of the party outside, - she hadn't ignored the fact that Johnson and Yuffie were getting pretty close - so it was a simple matter of arithmetic to figure out who was still inside the airship's hull.

The bridge was deserted, as was the operations room and the crew quarters. Tifa eventually found who she was looking for in a small machine shop just off to the side of the main engine room. There was the sound of metal clanking, the tinny carnage of classic rock on a portable stereo and a slight scent of slag in the air, but there was no cursing and no smoke either.

Tifa knew that Cid would be deep in concentration. So much so that he might not notice her at all. That's the way it was whenever Cid was working. He would get so involved in what he was doing that he was oblivious to the world around him.

It was because of this habit that she learnt of his hatred of stale, day-old tea. The ruckus he'd caused in their first visit to Wutai five years ago was one of the party's best stories. Who would have guessed he'd burst into every house in the honor-bound, respectable village, demanding fresh pot tea like a madman?

Tifa set the two plates down on one of the cleaner workbenches and snuck up behind the unsuspecting pilot, humming absent-mindedly along with the song that was currently playing.

After he set down the tools he had been working with, he paused to rub his forehead. Tifa took this moment to place her hand over his eyes and call out "Guess who?"

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as Cid gently took her hands away and drew her in close. Sharing a brief kiss, he said "Now this is the kinda 'Hello' I could get used to."

"Well, I could get used to this kind of response." Tifa said, delivering another small kiss. She gave his strong, callused hands a small squeeze and left to retrieve the two plates she'd procured, helping herself to chair.

Cid thanked her, rearranging the utility knife he kept on him into a spork. " 's god, love." he said, in between a mouthful of lasagna casserole and macaroni. Tifa felt a minor flicker of annoyance at how he mixed his food rather than take it one course at a time, but he seemed to enjoy it. "It's about time I took a break from the second most important girl in my life."

Taking a long swig from a canteen containing strawberry juice, he patted the bulkhead beside him affectionately. Tifa cocked her head to the side inquisitively. "And who might the first be?"

Cid chuckled. "Fishin' for compliments, are ya?" When Tifa shook her head "No", Cid replied with an almost humored tone. "_Highwind_'s only the second most important thing to me. Sure, she takes me to the skies and I love her for it, but she's still just second."

To reaffirm to Tifa that she knew what he was talking about, Cid took her hand in his and kissed her gently on the lips. The slight taste of lunch on his lips and the sharp bite of his stubble didn't faze her in the slightest She simply smiled softly, asking "You mean that?"

"Course I do, love." Cid said, returning the smile. The lines on his face eased into a smile, warming the sky blue eyes he housed. They sat for a few timeless moments, basking in the warm feeling that had erupted inside the both of them.

---

After the party packed up the small outdoor mess and cleaning up after themselves, _Highwind _made a strong comeback to the skies. After they were clear of the continent's airspace and en route to the mainland, the command crew descended below deck to the operations room.

Reeve was contented that Kadaj had been defeated, but expressed his disapproval that the Ancient city had been destroyed in the process. However, he still provided compliments on a job well done, as well as informed the party of a lead the WRO had uncovered on the whereabouts of their final target.

"Genesis." Tseng said softly, folding his arms over his chest.

"_Yes._" Reeve said. "_This time, we've taken an extra precaution. I've elevated our condition from Yellow to Red Alert. We've been mobilizing everything we've got in the event that things go pear-shaped at the last minute."_

"What have we got?" Cid asked.

"_We're still rallying our forces, but we have nine platoons of infantry, six squads of armor and our air force is on standby-by."_ Reeve said, allowing a shade of pride to contaminate his voice.

"Nice!" Barret boomed. "That'd be enough to take Junon!"

"_We thought it a prudent precaution."_ Reeve said. "_If we are to face an army of cloned soldiers, we don't want to lose any of you to them. Our reconnaissance satellites have identified copy activity around the Nibel mountain range."_

"Nibelheim?" Cloud asked, stepping forward. Tifa's ears perked up as well. It had been years since either of them had set foot in the proverbial ghost town.

"_It wouldn't be unreasonable to think that they might try to use the village as a base of operations."_ Reeve said.

"Back to where it all began…" Vincent said from one of the dark corners of the ops room.

"We'll be in touch, Reeve." Cloud said. "If we need support, we'll be sure to call for it."

He closed the channel , and Cid hauled himself to his feet. "Well, come on, everyone! It's not like ya don't know what's goin' on! Let's get the hell out there and end this crazy ride!"

Cloud gave Cid an approving nod and, influenced by his rallying cry, he called out "You heard the man! Action stations!"

---

The trip to Nibelheim took the better part of the day. When the airship had touched down, the party waited until dusk to launch their offensive.

The entire evening was spent with leftovers in the operations room. Cloud had pulled one of the maps kept in one of the local filing cabinets of the local surroundings. He knew the town by heart, as did Tifa, but that hardly meant that everyone else did.

Laying out the large map over the wooden table - and using the enlisted coffee mugs everyone was drinking out of as paperweights - Cloud began to set up their plan of attack.

"Okay, I don't think we should leave anything to chance here." Cloud said. "Genesis was considered to be as good as Sephiroth, kind of a prototype for the whole perfect SOLDIER. Tseng, you, Vincent and I will head North to investigate the Mako Reactor. Try to draw him back into the village where we can hit him with everything we've got."

Tseng nodded in approval. "Makes sense."

"Team two, - Elena, Barret and Cait Sith - will scout out the Shinra Manor for any kind of copy making facility."

"Why Shinra Manor?" Elena asked.

"Because any kind of equipment that might be able to make these damned copies may be found inside." Vincent said, impatiently. "The mansion has a dark enough history as it is."

"Okay, sorry." The Turk huffed.

"Your ignorance doesn't insult me, just don't pretend like it's an innocent holiday resort." Vincent said, heatedly.

"Okay, let's stay focused here." Cloud announced, raising his voice a touch. "Okay, Team three, that's the rest you, I want you to search the village for anything suspicious."

"Define suspicious." Cid said. "That could mean a hundred different things."

"I don't know what we're walking into, so your guess is as good as mine." Cloud said, shrugging his shoulders. "Stay in constant contact, let us know if anything happens." He checked the chronometer on the wall, reading that it was five after seven. "The sun'll go down about nine-thirty, so we'll set out for the city limits at quarter to ten. Settle anything you need to before we make our push."

Cloud downed the energy juice he had been nursing and began helping Cid put everything back into their prearranged spots. After they were finished, the operations room was empty. Cid heaved out a sigh and returned back to the captain's quarters.

He checked, double checked his weapons and materia, making sure everything was locked and secure into the Holy Lance. He was just beginning to bore of simply killing time -about half an hour now, until the operation began - when he allowed the person knocking on his door to come in.

He wasn't surprised in the least when he saw who it was, but she was certainly welcome. Tifa greeted him with the warm smile he was coming to expect from her.

"I thought I'd give you a little company before we all head out." She said. She leant against the doorframe, stretching herself out so that every curve of her body seemed to shout out to Cid. It wasn't an unpleasant sight at all.

"That's sweet of ya, girl." Cid said, rising up from the cot he called home on many of the _Highwind_'s excursions.

"It's no problem." Tifa said, coming to sit with him. "I just wanted an excuse to see you again."

"Like you'd need one." Cid chuckled, resting an arm around her shoulders. They were soft and feminine, but Cid knew from experience that she could easily take just about anything down. "I was just thinkin' about you."

"Oh yeah?" Tifa said, coking her head to the side in a fashion that draped her bangs over her face like a curtain.

"Mm-hmm." Cid nodded, stretching for a moment. "Been thinking' 'bout how we've been fighting these jackasses non-stop for about what, a week or so? And in all that time, we've barely had any time for us. And Lord knows I could use some R&R."

"I think we both could, love." Tifa gave an agreeing nod. After a brief moment of silence, she asked "Cid, I know I've been asking this a lot, but after everything's all finished up, what's gonna happen to us?"

"Well, I'd still love to be with ya, if ye'll have me." Cid said. "Still not entirely sure what we have here, but I really do care about you, girl."

"I care about you too." Tifa nuzzled into his shoulder. Her hair carried the sweet smell freshly mown summer grass. Cid inhaled deep through his nose, allowing it to relax him. "What would we be then? Boyfriend and girlfriend sounds too much like some high school romance that's doomed to failure right from the start."

"And I'd say that we're more than just acquaintances, and bed fellows sound too insincere." Cid said. Thinking for a moment, he said "How about lovers? Sounds like a nice rounded word."

"Lovers..." Tifa said, letting the word roll over her tongue. Cid wasn't too surprised to hear just how much he liked hearing her say it. "I like it. It's nothing too formal, but it kind of says we're serious. Because I really do want to be serious with you."

"Well, it sounds like we're gonna be spending a lot more time with each other when this is all over." Cid grinned down at her. Feeling his back starting to protest slightly from sitting without a support, he lay back down on the small cot.

Tifa snuggled on top of him, her delicate hands stroking his chest. "How's that going to work, Cid? I know adventuring like this pays well, but we live on opposite ends of the earth. It's not gonna be cheap to keep this going, and it'll be hard on both of us, being away so much."

Cid frowned for a moment. Truth be told, he hadn't thought that far ahead. "We'll figure something out." He assured Tifa, stroking her soft hair. "This is what's important to me right now. I'll make the time."

Tifa gave him a wide smile, the kind that made him feel like she knew everything was going to work out. And if it was the last thing he did, he was going to make sure that things _did_ work out.

---

The anxiety in the party was evident when they left the airship. Cloud led his team through the mountains, heading straight for the reactor, while Cid led the other two teams into the town.

The night sky was bright and clear, the stars glittering down upon the three teams. It seemed like the distant specks of light were holding their breath, waiting to see who would come out on top.

The familiar gate of the reconstructed town stood before teams two and three, a foreboding, iron wrought symbol of the dangers they would face when they crossed its threshold.

Nibelheim had always had a bizarre feeling, like one was walking through a large killing ground, or standing on a mass grave. In a sense, it was true. The entire town had been burned to the ground nearly ten years ago when Sephiroth had learned the truth about his origins. To avoid suspicion, Shinra had rebuilt the town brick for brick, employing actors to play the parts of the villagers.

But now, it seemed even more foreboding in the twilight. None of the lights were on, and it seemed to have the eerie silence every other town had. Closer inspection revealed that there were none had survived this time.

Tifa was visibly disturbed by this turn of events. She confided it to Cid, who agreed. "Somthin's definitely wrong here."

Reno nodded and raised his PHS to his ear. "Team two, this is three. The village is deserted, not a soul in sight. Either they left in a hurry, or there aren't any survivors."

The crackle of Elena's voice couldn't be made out by anyone else, but Reno nodded and hung up. Tifa looked to Red and asked him what he thought.

The red beast shook his mane slowly. "I can't think of anything our friend here hasn't said." He nodded to Reno.

"It's starting to look more and more like they didn't know what was going on until it was too late." Reno beckoned over to one of the doors he had knelt down beside. "The finish on this knob's been scratched. Looks like a pretty sloppy job of picking the lock." Noticing the looks he was receiving from most of the team, he said dryly "C'mon, I work for the Turks. You tend to notice and pick up these kind of things in this line of work."

Rude ignored the small dissertation and nodded across the square. "Looks like what they couldn't pick, they blasted open."

"_Three, this is two." _Elena's voice piped over Reno's speaker. "_The mansion's upper floors are full of Mako Pods. Guess we found the villagers."_

"Damn." Cid sighed through his cigarette. The smoke flowed back inside his mouth, causing Cid to cough slightly. He blew out the fumes and looked around. Things seemed just plain wrong here. Personally, he had his fingers crossed that Cloud got things wrapped up quickly.

---

The austere sight of the Nibel Mako Reactor was as harsh and uninviting as the climb. Over the years of rain, snow and other kinds of crazy weather the mountains saw, the metal framework had rusted badly, but still the odd juxtaposition of brick and steel against the natural, Mako-tinted rock of Mount Nibel seemed as out of place as a materia fountain in the middle of Midgar.

Even with First Tsurugi fully loaded and assembled on his back, Cloud still didn't feel completely at ease. But still, he approached the door with a sense of purpose. They were so close, he could almost taste it.

The access panel had been stripped away what looked like years ago. The claw marks were consistent with the large Harrier birds that lived up in these parts.

_Only one way to go._

Heaving the sword over his shoulder, he cleaved the oxidized door down. The old hinges, barely holding onto the door, didn't stand a chance under the impact. It flew into the entrance hall a couple of feet before it landed hard, stirring up dust and small metal particles.

The sharp smell of Mako hit Cloud like a physical wave. He sighed out of sheer reflex and led the way into the reactor.

The lights were off inside, and the dim light from the entrance only shone so far. Vincent had come prepared for such a contingency, though. A bright blue orb of materia bathed all three of them in bright light, more than enough to see what they were doing.

"All right, be ready." Cloud said, speaking for the first time during the entire operation.

Vincent nodded. "Let's end this here and now."

"I agree." Tseng said, affixing a small flashlight to the underside of his pistol. "We have to end this now, otherwise things may escalate and become … unpleasant."

Cloud nodded and led the way down into the reactor's core. The service elevator was out of commission, due to its age and lack of power. The ladder sufficed, despite the three having to proceed single-file.

The entrance to the experimental section, which led to the storage area that Jenova had previously inhabited, was open. There was light flickering inside. It was almost as if Genesis, in his vanity, had wanted to be found.

The pews of Mako pods flanking the staircase leading to the containment room had been modified slightly since the last time Cloud visited the reactor. Now, the Genesis copies had replaced the monsters of ten years ago.

The emergency power was active in this section of the reactor, sustaining the pods and internal lighting. And up top near the opening to the sealed door, stood a tall figure, clad in a red and black cape.

He spoke with a soft accent, crisp and practiced as a stage actor. "_Infinite in mystery, is the gift of the goddess. We seek it thus, and take to the sky. Ripples form on the water's surface. The wandering soul knows no rest."_

The soft clap of a book being shut reverberated throughout the room. Genesis Rhapsodos turned to the party of three, arms spread wide. "Welcome to the party. It's been a long time."

Tseng stepped forward. "What do you want, Genesis?" He had his pistol drawn, safety off.

The former SOLDIER First Class simply shook his head. "You wouldn't understand. We - my brothers and sisters in arms - have been selected by a higher calling. I'm a fool for not realizing what needed to be done earlier."

"What task?" Cloud demanded. "What needs to be done?"

"Well, the infantryman has a voice after all." Genesis looked down on Cloud with unabashed scorn. "You will forgive me, I was expecting someone else to wield a sword like that. Last time we met, you were a barely conscious bundle of flesh and bone wearing a SOLDIER uniform. It's most fortunate that you actually had a genuine SOLDIER to look out for you."

The muscles in Cloud's jaw visibly tightened. "He was my friend." He said through gritted teeth.

"Spare me your sentimental drivel." Genesis sneered. "Friends are a volatile asset. They are pleasant for the time being, but inevitably turn into a potentially deadly liability. And before long, you're left to do everything yourself."

"On the contrary," Cloud said, with a brief hint of a smile. He had always wanted to find at least one scenario where he could use those three words in context. "I find that friends watch your back, they help you and make you a stronger person than you could have been just by yourself."

"Indeed?" Genesis said in a mocking tone. He drew a long broadsword out of its sheath in a long, graceful arc, igniting the runes along the blade into flame. "Show me how strong your friends have made you."

In a horizontal swipe, Genesis fired a three pronged flame spell at them. Tseng dove for cover, Vincent leapt over the ball of fire meant for him, firing the high-caliber Hydra rifle he had drawn off of his back.

Cloud cleaved the fireball directed at him in half, feeling the intense heat as it just barely bypassed him.

Genesis twirled the Flame Saber in front of him, deflecting all the fire sent his way. Cloud leapt up high to deliver a Braver strike at the first class SOLDIER. He intercepted the limit break in mid air, a disturbing parallel to the last battle fought here, against Cloud and Sephiroth.

Thinking quickly, Cloud shifted his weight down, delivering both of his boots into Genesis' face.

He staggered back as Cloud landed, swinging the sword in to impact on Genesis' head. The saber came up to intercept the blow. As soon as it stopped the kinetic force Cloud's shoulder provided, Genesis slashed at Cloud's midsection.

Cloud used a quick pirouette, sword raised high, to avoid the fiery blade. The heat seared his stomach and left side to the point of blistering as it passed within millimeters of him.

Tseng's pistol cracked twice, both shots missing. Vincent swpet in, swinging the rifle butt to hit Genesis in the face. The SOLDIER dodged the attack, delivering a sharp spin back kick that took Vincent temporarily out of the equation.

Cloud brought the Tsurugi blade in to swipe at Genesis' right side, to have Genesis lock his blade with Cloud's. They struggled, each of them funneling more power into the lock in hopes of breaking the other.

Cloud winced at the inferno generated by Genesis' flame saber, when the SOLDIER relented and delivered a harsh boot to Cloud's solar plexus.

Cloud never had a chance to clench his stomach muscles to prepare for the blow. The breath exploded out of his as he staggered back, managing a shaky defense. The bruised muscles screamed in protest, but Cloud's guard held.

Aware of the two gun barrels and the powerful blade against him, Genesis simply smiled. "Let's say your speech about friends moved me. Would you care to meet mine?"

He leapt backwards over the swipe Cloud took at him, landing next to a small control console. His fingers danced on the buttons, releasing the seals on the top six Mako pods.

The figures inside roused a controlled gasp from Vincent. These were men and women the WRO had thought long since defeated. But here they stood, the feared leaders of DeepGround in living color.

"Tsviets." Tseng hissed.

"Just so." Genesis said. His smug smile had returned, despite the blood streaming out of an abrasion on his right temple. "Your interference has forced me to accelerate my plans." He turned to the Tsviets, ignoring his attackers. "You have your assignments. Carry them out."

Cloud knew he could end it all right here. He prepared an Ultima burst to take out the entire upper chamber, but Genesis wouldn't have it. He interrupted Cloud's preparations with a castaway Flare spell. It blasted Cloud back, slamming him against the wall.

The world went red for a moment as the pain took ahold. Cloud slumped to the ground. Through the aching pain, he heard Genesis' low monotone. "Move forward, all of you. Pandora, take care of this rabble."

"With pleasure, master." A young female voice said. Cloud couldn't see her at the moment, but the way she said it gave him the feeling that she would enjoy carrying out the directive given to her.

His first thought was why didn't Vincent or Tseng finish the job. But the realization that the flare spell wasn't just limited to him came to him just after his previous thought. Cloud gave his head a fierce shake and returned to his feet.

Pandora, it seemed, was barely an adult. About the same age Cloud was when he returned to Midgar to join AVALANCHE. Her black hair flowed down below her shoulders, but it was matted, as if she were the reanimated corpse of a drowning victim. Her ice blue eyes stared blankly, without focus.

She stood with all her weight ton her right foot, with a heavy caliber revolver slung over her shoulder. The stance she assumed gave her a lanky appearance, but the Mako lining of her armor indicated that she had been augmented by Jenova cells.

_Great, MORE targets to chase down. This is really getting old!_

"I'm game whenever you boys are." Pandora called. "Hope you all came prepared to die. I can certainly provide that for you."

"Who the hell are you?" Vincent rasped, struggling to his feet. "I've never seen you, and I killed all of the Tsviets."

"But I know you." The girl said, with a sadistic grin spreading across her face. "You're Vincent Valentine. I've heard a lot about you. In fact, you've been a hero of mine."

Vincent harrumphed, cocking the large bore rifle. "I'm flattered."

"Don't think that I'll spare you, though." The girl sneered, drawing the hammer back on the large handgun. "My name's Pandora. Remember it, because I'm the one who's going to take you down." She cackled loudly, shaking the ugly mane of hair streaming out of her head. "I've got my own plans for you. From here on out, it's all about enjoying myself. None of you will make it out of here alive, neither will your friends in the village below."

---

Team three had just finished their fourth sweep through the village when all hell broke loose. Out of nowhere, Genesis copies began coming out of the woodwork, spraying the town square with automatic gunfire.

Cid grabbed Tifa by the arm, pulling her into cover with him. The gunfire tore up parts of the wooden shelter, sending splinters everywhere.

The whooshing roar of a flare spell was heard, directed towards the upper floor of the old general store. The high powered fire spell blew out the entire story, sending a ghastly rain of bloody rubble down onto the nearby surroundings.

The square quickly changed from a quiet, eerie, deserted town square to a noisy, chaotic maelstrom of destruction. High powered rounds and spells were exchanged between both sides, neither party daring to venture too far from the cover each of them had selected.

The copies had a distinct advantage, however. They had selected their hiding places well, encircling the entire village. This allowed for various frantic, but ultimately unsuccessful flanking maneuvers.

Just after unleashing a vicious shock spell that stunned three of the advancing copies, a freight train collided with the back of Cid's neck. He cried out and fell to his knees as the world spun and blurred.

Hissing a filthy curse, Cid rolled onto his back, spear poised in a defensive stance. At best, he would be able to ram the business end into the responsible copy's inner thigh.

Tifa however, had beaten him to the punch, so to speak. After finishing a fierce one-two combination, she elbowed the copy in the face, cracking the clear face shield. Reeling back, his gun clattered harmlessly to the ground.

He had turned with the force of her blows, staggering into a half-vertical stance. Tifa caught him in a reverse headlock, tore his helmet off, dealt a couple of excruciating punches in this superior position, and tossed him away. The copy rammed headlong into a concrete wall, knocking him out cold. A red stain covered the crack in the wall the occipital area of his head had left.

Cid used the opportunity she gave him to return to his feet, his vision beginning to clear. Another copy charged at him, wielding two curved daggers. After a flashy display of twirls, spins and jabs with his spear, Cid nailed the copy with the hilt of his spear, right underneath the clear blast shield.

A telltale red spray followed the copy to the ground, going limp. Cid had no time to celebrate, for he dove out of the way of a bayonet, attached to a large rifle. He parried the blade as soon as he was on his feet, pivoting and slashing hard, ripping a large gash through his chest.

Before he could catch his breath, Cid was caught from behind by a rifle stock, cutting off his breath.

He drove an elbow into the offending copy's sternum and sent a Shock spell down the barrel of his gun. He could feel the copy shuddering under the powerful electrical impulses. Cid couldn't help but display a smug grin, as the Tetra Elemental medallion he wore in concert with his dog tags protected him from such energies.

The entire magazine discharged simultaneously with a loud crack. The now-inert rifle fell to the ground, accompanying its owner. As if to avenge the copy Cid just dispatched, a bolt of lightening seared the air inches away from Cid's right shoulder. The pilot dove for cover, trying to see where it came from.

A similar strike blew out the base of the water tower, teetering towards the team. Rude noticed the change of events, saw the heavy tower picking up speed. Unstopped, it would crush anyone in its path of destruction.

He sent an energy blast towards it, rolling it off to the side. It crashed down away from the small team, and onto the inn. Water rushed out at frightening speed, blasting enemies off of their feet.

The two Turks held their own against the opposing legion, made out of the former villagers. The Turk Flare spells Reno launched out of his stun baton blasted copies back, allowing for Rude to rush in and deliver the coup de grace, snapping necks and breaking bones with the precision of a surgeon.

Though it seemed like the copies would never stop coming, their numbers were finite. The night became still once more.

Reno tried to reach the second team to report in, but there was no response. He swore fluently, rallying the rest of the team to follow him up the nearby mountain path. "C'mon, the rest of them'll need our help!"

Helping Tifa to her feet from a bad fall, Cid followed the rest of them, up the road that led to the Shinra Manor.


	21. Chapter 21: Pandora's Box

Chapter 21: Pandora's Box

After pronouncing the death sentence on the three men who came to kill Genesis, the apprentice Tsviet Pandora protected herself with a Shield spell. The shots Vincent and Tseng fired bounced harmlessly off the translucent green shield.

Leaping high onto the overhead conduits, she sent a devastating, Thundaga-infused shot down onto the party, electrifying the pods around them. Cloud sent a Blizzaga spell skyward, trying to pin her down. Before it could take hold though, he dove out of the way, blind-firing as she did so.

The specimens inside the pods thrashed about helplessly, as the electricity killed them inside their own individual coffins. Pandora evidently thought little of it, for she was at the door in a hop, skip and a jump. "Catch me if you can!" She taunted before she dashed out the door, revolver slung over her shoulder.

The party of three leapt over the dangerous arcs, reaching the entrance in record time. The cold mountain air heightened Cloud's perception, triggering old memories of simpler days in his childhood.

He gave his head a violent shake. _No time to think about such things now! Concentrate_!

Pandora was nowhere to be seen, the night was still as a grave. The ancient calls of the night birds gave a tense, eerie feel.

But almost as if on cue, a large explosion cut loose a large portion of rock around the reactor. A rockslide covered the entrance, just behind the party.

Pandora turned out of cover, firing her weapon. Cloud deflected the shots directed towards him, almost having the sword torn out of his hand. Whatever kind of revolver it was, it was powerful!

Taking her time to reload, she said "Not bad. Hope you're ready for what's next, cause I'm just getting warmed up."

A bright red glare began to emanate from her upper forearm, eyes rolling into the back of her head. This made her look even more like a reanimated corpse.

"She's summoning!" Tseng called out, bringing his pistol to bear. The shots bounced off the last remnants of her shield as the portal between worlds formed in the starlit sky.

Out of it emerged a large green serpent, crackling with electricity. The summon Quetzalcoatl reared its featureless face, preparing to strike.

Cloud dodged around the ambient discharge the scales gave off, slashing around the midsection. The assembled blade bounced off, not even leaving a scratch. The gigantic serpent evidently felt the impact, for it lashed out with its tail, sending Cloud flying back into the mountainside.

The familiar blur of pain returned, as Cloud stumbled and sank to his knees. His teeth were rattled by the impact, but he still stood up to fight.

Vincent had flipped backwards in the air, pulling off one his trademark impossible shots. The Hydra rifle placed a 7.62 mm round into one of the summon's yellow eyes.

The green snake reared on what served as its legs, thrashing in pain. Cloud couldn't help but take notice of the small, discolored spot on its throat. A part which was normally shielded by the summon's head.

Tseng took notice of it too, for he sent a double-tap shot into the small spot.

His shots hit dead on, causing the serpent even more pain. Quetzalcoatl would have none of that, for it counterattacked with a Thunder sweep, electrocuting everything in its path.

Cloud dove over the electrical shockwave, while Tseng ducked behind cover. Vincent's approach was a little more hands-on. The jump he had launched himself into ended right on the back of Quetzalcoatl's head, leaving it open to attack.

Driving the heavy oak butt of the Hydra down into what served as the base of the serpent's neck, Vincent pummeled it with everything he had, seriously impairing the natural armor it had there.

The electrical serpent thrashed about, trying to shake the gunslinger off. As it did, Tseng took the opportunity to reload. Instead of replacing the magazine with a standard double-stacked clip, he slapped in a longer one, with a backup taped on the side. It protruded out of the pistol's butt, detracting from the pistol's elegant design.

Ugly as the configuration was, Tseng was only concerned about the results. He brought the pistol up, switching the firing mode from semi to full automatic. Thirty round emptied into Quetzalcoatl's throat, spewing blood onto the mountainside.

Ripping through the outer scales catastrophically compromised the summons defenses. Cloud began hacking at the serpents tail, leaping to avoid its counterattacks. After a minute or so of fierce fighting, the summon was beginning to tire, unleashing desperate lighting attacks. By now, the party of three had whittled away a good chunk of the serpents' offensive capability.

Pandora had taken notice that Quetzalcoatl was beginning to weaken as well. She began to fire her revolver at the opposing enemies, but it was far too late to preserve the assistance she had summoned.

One final Blade Beam attack from Cloud cut the head off of the summon, sending electrical arcs all over the place. Enabling the Elemental materia he had on his sword, Cloud used it as a lightning rod, sending a deadly, high-voltage burst at Pandora.

Having no time to react, Pandora was hit by the shock of the electrical arc. She shuddered, screaming as the electricity played havoc with her body.

However effective it might have been, the attack halted just as soon as the power was cut off. The large summon flopped lifeless to the rock face, its energy depleted with no hope of recharge.

Pandora, smoldering from having one of her tools used against her in such a fashion, screamed "Damn you all!" as she let loose a Break-infused shot. The Earth based spell hit right in the center of the team, causing the ground beneath them to explode in all directions.

The small party was thrown about, and nearly off the mountain. Not a prospect Cloud wanted to entertain, because it was a long way down to the ground. Tired of being tossed around for fear of a severe concussion before the day was out, Cloud snarled and got back to his feet.

Pandora saw the recovering team, and fired a Freeze spell their way.

Cloud couldn't help but give a smile, for the Elemental materia he had was also linked to the Blizzard materia along the blade of his sword. He caught it, nullifying its negative effects on him. In a quick reverse move, he sent it back at the caster.

In her arrogance, Pandora hadn't anticipated a counterattack like this. The freeze spell caught her, the force of it sending her over the edge of the mountain.

The undersized team rushed forward to see where she had landed, and possibly what direction she might attack from, should she survive.

The young Tsviet landed hard on one of the outcroppings below, shattering the ice encasing her. Cloud knew that such an occurrence would cause massive damage, and even death in certain cases.

Even from thirty feet away, Pandora's scream of pain was unmistakable over the ambling wind. She tilted to one side, shuddering. For a moment, Cloud actually felt sorry for the pathetic sight of her.

The feeling quickly vanished as she leapt up, running up the mountainside she just fell off of. The heavy revolver fired, cleaving off parts of the ledge the party was standing on.

Cloud flipped back, ready to blow her away with an Aero spell. He landed at the same time Pandora's hand appeared on the ledge to heave herself over.

She heaved herself upwards, catching the top of the blast of air. It struck her in such a way that it flipped her over, causing her to land on her feet after performing a mid-air reload.

Acting fast, Cloud dashed in to deliver a fast Cross-Slash combination. She parried all of the swipes with the reinforced six-inch barrel she was so fond of waving about, weaving in and out of the incoming gunfire.

As First Tsurugi intercepted the revolver and held, close enough to make out the word "Hellion" along the barrel, Pandora launched herself up onto Cloud's shoulder, somersaulting off of him to deliver a fierce kick to his jaw.

Under the impact, Cloud staggered back a couple of paces. Lightning fast, Pandora grabbed him by the collar and pressed the barrel of her gun against the center of Cloud's chest.

Only having a spilt second to react, Cloud leant off to the side, causing the high-caliber round to punch through his left shoulder. The sledgehammer blow knocked him down, his lungs empty from the gasp of pain that slipped out.

In response, Vincent sent a Comet spell down on Pandora. She swiveled about, slapping her ammunition cylinder shut. Blasting through the large summoned rock, one of the powerful shots hit Vincent in the chest. The reinforced frame Professor Hojo's experiments had endowed him with protected his internal functions, but the force of the bullet knocked him down.

And almost unnoticeably, the Curse Ring he wore on his right hand tumbled off its position. This was a special ring that augmented both strength and defense dramatically, but it came at a cost. It restricted the wearer's abilities so that limit breaks would not occur.

But now that safeguard was gone and Vincent's temper had begun to rise. Before he could even think about what was happening, the familiar purple haze engulfed him. The beast inside him wanted out.

The Gailian Beast leapt to its feet, roaring. It stomped its way to Pandora, the golden left claw that remained the same deflecting the shots she fired.

As she paused to reload, the beast took a large swipe at her. When she somersaulted backwards out of the way, the beast unleashed an orb of energy from its right palm, catching the young Tsviet in the chest. It blew her back, close to the same edge that was nearly the end of her.

Leaping up to her feet, she sent out a powerful Aero blast out in all directions, repulsing Cloud and Vincent back. Taking heavy damage from a bad fall, Vincent changed back into himself. The Hydra lay a few yards away, too far for even the fastest runner to grab before being filled with holes from Pandora's gun. Wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway. He was fresh out of ammunition.

Grinning sadistically, Pandora leveled the Hellion revolver to deliver the coup de grace.

The crack of gunfire that sounded however, was too soft to be of the caliber of bullet the Tsviet was using. Sounded more like one that Tseng's pistol might use.

The puff of red mist that surrounded Pandora's midsection supported that hypothesis. She yelped, sinking to one knee. The revolver hanging limply in her hand.

Coughing up blood, she managed a weak "Not bad. It's too bad we can't have any more fun. The stakes are just a little too rich for my liking."

Two of the green orbs shone on her left arm. One surrounded her in the yellow-green healing wave of a cure spell, while the other one lit up for a moment before Pandora simply disappeared with a loud pop.

"Damn." Vincent hissed, his rasp more pronounced than ever. "Exit materia." He stood and helped Cloud to his feet. "Can you move?"

"Yeah, I'll live." Cloud said, downing the reserve Potion he made a habit of keeping in hidden compartment on the small of his back. "We've got to get down to the village to stop her!"

"Why the village?" Tseng asked, reloading his pistol gingerly. "What makes you think she went there?"

"If I were in her shoes, it's where I'd go." Vincent said, picking up his rifle.

"Same here." Cloud said, energized by the healing drink he just downed. "If that's a bust, then we'll be able to give the other two teams a hand."

Tseng nodded in agreement. "Very well. Let's go."

---

The main door had been unlocked by the second team, who were waiting in the dimly lit main hall. They hadn't explored much in the basement, as the pods on the upper floors had released their contained specimens. The debris and remains of the battle inside attested to it.

The upper floors were clear, inhabited by nothing but emptied Mako pods, dusty furniture and garments either remaining from the Shinra-employed inhabitants or a few smaller sizes left behind by hormonal teens seeking out privacy from years back.

Ensuring that the supply of combat-ready copies had been exhausted, the combined teams agreed that the basement was the safest bet to shut down Genesis' operation. All the equipment necessary would have to be controlled from down there.

The spiral staircase positioned in one of the two towers in the mansion was still the easiest way to reach the experimental wing the lower levels housed. The rickety staircase was old and decrepit, but it held up under the party's weight all the same.

The basement had recently been further excavated to allow for wider tunnels, making more support struts necessary to keep the mansion from collapsing into its own foundation.

The dusty old room off to the side of the main chamber Vincent had been found inside years ago had been changed as well. The contents inside could classify it as a crypt, but it was little more than a glorified closet. Now was no different, for the Mako pods remained empty.

The cabling feeding the pods with energy were stationed on the roof, and the constant flow of power was streaming into the pods. Even in standby mode, Shinra made technology still consumed a marginal amount of energy.

"If we trace the power flow backwards, we might be able to find the central hub." Reno said. "It'd make things a lot easier on us. It's like a maze down here."

"Time would seem to be of the essence." Rude said, flexing his Defense Gloves.

The rest of the team followed their lead back into the main passageway. Unusually well lit thanks to the lanterns on the wall, the cabling was in clear view.

It led throughout a small series of twists and turns through the subterranean labyrinth, until they finally reached the expansive library in the basement. From there, it was a fairly simple search. Cid still couldn't help but think that this whole episode would go so much faster if Vincent had been there to escort them through.

Finally, the door opened to a large research hub. The walls were lined with Mako pods, punctuated every so often by a control console.

Yuffie clapped her hands together loud enough to make a couple members of the party jump. "Okay, all we have to do is find the hub of where all these pods converge and … and…."

Yuffie trailed off when the hub revealed itself. It was positioned in the center of the circular room, atop of an enlarged Mako pod. The contents of which were the cause of concern for the party. The size of the pod could have easily contained ten copies, or two of them that were ten feet tall.

What was actually inside was worse than even the most powerful copy any of the targets had produced. The Mako-blue scales it had grown glistened in the saturated fluid it was suspended in, the large oversized maw looked powerful enough to snap bones as easily as a child would go through chewing gum, and the tumor-like muscles along its extremities looked as if they would spring to life at any time and burst through the flimsy glass of its cage. At one point, it may have been human, but those days were long since gone.

"Holy hell, what IS that thing?" Barret said, shaking his head incredulously.

Cid let a generous curse loose. "Nothin's ever simple, is it?"

"Who gives a damn what it is?" Reno said. "Let's try not to wake it up. There's not a lot of room to fight in here."

"Well, let's try to shut it off." Tifa suggested. "There's bound to be something we can use to disrupt the power flow in here."

"Oh, there is." An unfamiliar voice said from the far side of the room. It belonged to a young girl, wearing DeepGround issued armor. Blood seeped out of her midsection, and it looked as if she'd just fallen off of a mountain from the amount of damage she had sustained. But it never affected her cocky demeanor, or the psychotic smile on her face. "But only I know which buttons are the right ones. And to be honest, I think these close quarters make things more fun!"

She slammed a nearby lever down, activating the release system for the center pod. As the catches began to release, the Tsviet took off down one of the adjacent passageways.

Cid quickly turned to Tifa, knowing what needed to be done. "Take Yuffie and Cait Sith and go after her! We'll hold whatever this is off!"

Sharing his understanding of how desperate the situation was, she took the two mentioned and chased after the target without another word. Cid couldn't help but take some comfort that at least she would have a fighting chance.

"Okay, ugly!" He snarled at the abomination that had revealed itself. "Let's see what yer made of!"

The roar that the mutated monster gave shook the doors of the nearby containment pods, tendrils shaking in the place of its hair. Elena was halted in her tracks, beholding the horrid sight.

Thinking quickly, Barret threw up a Big Guard spell around the party, enhancing their defense and speed. It proved to be a wise move, for the monster spun about, using its trunk-like tail as a whip. The impact sent everyone against the walls, although it didn't do as much damage as it could have.

Reno took the impact in a stride, rolling with the impact to return to his feet. Acting fast, he sent a Turk Light spell to try and confuse the monster. The reinforced scales deflected the power, sending the destructive energy bouncing off the walls.

Hissing a short expletive, he readjusted his aim to deliver a Neo Turk Light blast to the creature's vulnerable eyes. The spell blinded the creature, causing it to stumble back, thrashing about.

"Come on!" Reno called to the others who had returned to their feet. "Let's try to get some maneuvering room!"

As the party rushed out of the small room, locking the door behind them. They ran up the passageway, trying to retrace their steps to the spiral staircase.

A loud crash behind them revealed the gigantic monster burst through the brick wall, intent on making mincemeat out of the people that had awoken it.

It charged at the small party, knocking whatever obstacles it encountered out of its way. Be it old, inanimate crates or destructive high-powered magic, the monster still advanced with frightening speed. Even at a full sprint, the party was barely able to keep their headway.

One thing that Elena did notice was that the passageway was barely big enough to contain the monster. Its sizable bulk knocked out the fresh support struts, collapsing sections of the roof in its wake. The weight of the rubble alone would be enough to crush anything that was caught under it, the entire weight of the mansion above notwithstanding.

A small smile of hope shone on her face, formulating a plan. If they could stay ahead of the collapsing rubble, they just might have a chance.

"Aim for the supports on the roof!" She called to the party. "Collapse the roof on him!"

The party turned their attacks towards the overhead beams without question. The magic they cast upon the wooden beams was designed for penetrating heavy armor and defeating legions of soldiers. Against simple wood, it was the worst kind of overkill.

The result however, was worth its proverbial weight in gold. Without the sturdy wood holding the foundation together, it collapsed down before the monster could do the same. Impacting on the beast, the strike didn't kill it. But it did hamper its speed, and evidently hurt it badly.

"It's working!" Red called after setting a critical beam on fire. "Keep at it!"

Passing the crypt-broom closet, Cid sent a Thundaga spell into the door. The Mako pods within exploded, the chemical-fuelled fire igniting the monster as it passed. The blast seared off the armored scales on its right side, leaving the foul smelling pinkish flesh behind them vulnerable.

With its defenses compromised, the creature began to take more and more damage. The benefits however, were dubious at best. Although it was starting to die, the passageway was quickly starting to run out of room. Darting into the protective silo of the spiral staircase, the party just narrowly escaped having the entire weight of Shinra Manor above crashing down onto them.

The monster stumbled and faltered, but still kept coming despite the roof caving in onto it. It stopped just shy of the staircase, its head all that escaped the downpour of rubble.

Preparing an attack from its gaping mouth, the creature let out one final roar. Barret cut loose with his particle cannon, trying to penetrate the heavily defended skull. Cid kicked off of the far side of the wall, gaining precious altitude. Somersaulting forward in midair, he brought the Holy Lance down hard onto the base of the creature's head.

The beast cried out one last time, followed by the telltale death rattle. It slumped, contained in the grave the Mansion's foundation had created.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Either through kneeling, sitting or leaning against the wall, the party stopped for a moment to catch their breath.

The moment of relief didn't last long, however. From up above, inside the mansion a loud explosion was heard.

"The hell was that?" Barret said, heaving himself back up. "Whadda we gotta deal with now??"

"That sounded like the old gas main." Reno said.

"We probably just collapsed the whole building down." Rude supplemented. "Whatever's left up there is probably on fire. I suggest we leave the area, while there's still an area left to leave." Rude said, leading the way up the stairs.

Cid didn't stop to listen. He bolted up the stairs, two or three at a time. There was but one thing on his mind. The woman who took off after the new target. Her well-being was first and foremost on Cid's mind. So much so that he nearly fell off of the staircase when the floor abruptly ended in midair.

Sinking the roof of the basement in on the monster below had distorted the mansion above. The mansion had buckled and distorted fro the layout the party was used to. What used to be an austere, creepy old mansion had now become a dry tinderbox, ignited by the gas main's eruption.

Cid held the rest of the party back, so that none of them made the same mistake of running off the edge and into the burning wreck. The tower that the staircase was built around was the only safe haven in the mansion, save for the exterior grounds.

The distortion of the floor had ripped open a large gash in the front wall, where some of the smoke belched out into the otherwise clear night. What Cid was able to see though, was the girl who had appeared in the basement had engaged the small party of three that had left the rest of them.

Cid managed a quick sigh of relief, knowing that Tifa was okay. But for now, he had to concentrate on getting out of this burning wreck alive. He'd be of no use to her well-done.

Spying a ruined section of wall that had collapsed into a usable ramp, Cid sent a Freeze spell down to help keep the flames at bay. Barret had his back, sending out water-based Aqualung spells to clear a path out of the burning wreck.

The treacherous path to one of the freshly created exits was a tough job to keep safe. The roof was barely holding together, destroyed rafters toppling down onto the ground. One particular part of the chimney nearly crushed Red as it crashed on the ground.

Cid and Barret remained on the ruined tower, providing cover for the rest of their team as they rushed out of the building. The final member - Elena - had just made it out when one of the critical support struts for the tower gave, pitching it and its occupants into the inferno below.

Cid landed hard, feeling the splintering pain of a couple of ribs breaking. The breath was sucked out of him, replaced by harsh smoke. It was hard to tell where he was exactly, in relation to the mansions layout. All he knew was that his wounded side hurt like a sonuvabitch.

However bad his fall had been, Barret had taken the worst of it. One of the larger beams had fallen over his upper legs, trapping the unconscious man under the burning rubble. Even if the beam wasn't trapping him, two large bulges indicated that both of his legs were broken. If Cid didn't do something, his friend would surely die.

Wincing, Cid stumbled to his feet, coughing loudly. He tried to stay as low to the ground as he could sucking in precious oxygen. It was kind of ironic really, the chain-smoking pilot now being killed by his own vice.

"Barret!" He coughed, shaking the large man. He stirred slightly, eyes fluttering open. Cid grabbed hold of one of the safe sections of the wooden beam. He bent his knees, straining to lift it. It only budged, nothing more.

"Go on," Barret wheezed, slumping back. "Git outta here…"

"No fuckin' way!" Cid shouted, instantly regretting it. He thrust his spear under the beam, trying to lever it off. "Yer gonna live goddammit, ya hear me!"

Almost damn it, so close…

Barret's sudden loss of confidence was still profound. An ice cube of doubt slid down Cid's gullet, freezing his insides. _My god, I'm gonna die in here!_

His friend's outlook on the situation was just as bleak. "No use, old buddy. Go on, Tifa needs you…"

"And you think Marlene don't need you!" Cid snarled back. "I didn't sit through all of yer bellyachin' about her for the past five years to have you give up on me now! Come on, help me out here!"

Barret heaved himself up, shifting his useless legs just enough for Cid to lever the absurdly heavy beam off of his friend. Bending down, Cid placed one of the tree trunk like arms over his shoulder, heaving the Corelite up to make a desperate gambit for the door.

The closest exit was the main entrance. It was only feet away, but Cid's insides were running hotter than the flames around him. His lungs screamed for air. Fresh, clear, oxygen rich mountain air, not the hazy, carbonized muck he was gulping down, probably polluted with God knows what kind of paint Shinra put on the walls. And coupled with the dead weight of Barret with his broken legs, it was far more than what the Shinra Air Force's physical training had prepared him for.

Cid doubled over, coughing up a lung or three. The strain of the last day and a half finally overtook Cid's second wind, sapping the energy right out of him. His eyelids began to grow weights on the ends, forcing them down. It was warm in here, though. Nice place to take a rest, get back into the fight after forty winks..

_NO! Gotta keep moving, dammit! Maybe later, not right now. _

The situation had now become incredibly more difficult to deal with, for a large piece of wreckage had fallen in front of the door. Cid knew he didn't have the time, or the strength to try and move it out of the way. The roof began to creak horribly, signaling that it would cave in at any second.

Barret however, had the situation well in hand. With his last ounce of strength, he wrenched the particle cannon up, managing one final Grenade Bomb attack that blasted a gigantic hole in the wall. The rubble flew out in all directions, the way ahead clear.

With a scream of effort, Cid heaved himself and the man he was carrying out of the burning hellhole. The million miles to the door took everything Cid had to cover, but both men made it out just before the old Shinra Manor collapsed in on itself.

The fresh air grated on Cid's tortured lungs, forcing a new coughing fit onto him. Setting Barret down, in similar condition to himself, Cid collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. Feeling the back of his throat becoming active, he managed to return to a hands-and-knees position, crawled for a couple of feet and was violently sick.

After the rancid feeling of vomit had passed, Cid ran a hand over his mouth to catch any particles left behind,. Completely winded, he fell back to the ground, dead to the world.

---

Team one had returned to the village limits just in time to see the mansion collapse in on itself and catch fire. A small perimeter of dug in copies deterred their arrival to aid in the fight against Pandora.

The small splinter team had taken the fight to the young Tsviet, holding her off. After pausing to reload, Cait Sith sprung into action. He leapt off of a small pile of rubble and landed on Pandora's face. He outstretched his claws, swiping madly.

His target was not amused. She picked up the housecat by the scruff of his neck, just above the cape he wore, and flung him off. The sharp claws revealed bright red wounds he left, that evidently stung.

Luck would seem to be on Cait Sith's side however. Perhaps it was the Lucky materia he had, or maybe a result of the friendships and trust he had forged. As Pandora leveled her Hellion revolver to blast the cat to smithereens, Tifa rushed in from behind to deliver a wicked, double handed punch to the back of her neck.

The impact staggered the Tsviet, allowing her gun to go off. The shot went wild, crashing harmlessly into nowhere. Taking advantage of this small moment, Tifa delivered a knee into Pandora's sternum. Not waiting to see her reaction, Tifa brought both of her elbows down hard onto the target's back, sending her crashing to the ground.

Before she was able to deliver the finishing blow with a boot to the back of the head, the collapse of the right-hand tower distracted Tifa's attention. Pandora rolled back to her feet with unbelievable speed. In the blink of an eye, she weaved her way around her assailant, deflected the incoming Ninji Flashbang with the reinforced barrel of her gun and leveled the gun at the base of Tifa's head.

Allowing herself a small grin of victory, she drew back the hammer.

Out of nowhere, a familiar pointed, gold-plated shoe kicked the gun out of Pandora's hand. Pivoting quickly, Vincent slashed in sideways with his left hand, trying to bring her down. She weaved out of reach and swept back in, kicking Vincent's legs out from under him with a clean sweep.

The force of the impact left a large impression on the ground, and would have killed a lesser man. As she leapt up to her feet, she leveled the gun down.

The loud crack of Elena's sniper cannon resounded through the clear night. Pandora shook with the impact, dropping the heavy pistol. The 19 mm high-velocity round, combined with the heavy internal trauma she had taken and the fall off the mountain was too much for her augmented system.

She dropped to her knees, the wide hole blown in her chest starting to leak black blood. Cait Sith had scrambled up to the fading body, backpack at the ready. Despite the numerous scrapes and cuts Pandora's own nails had left in him, he worked quickly before the body returned to the Lifestream.

After a few moments of tense silence, Cait Sith announced "That's it! We got it!"

The party let out a cheer that would have shaken the heavens. They fell to the ground, some laughing, some crying, but all basking in the glory that they had survived the intense battle.

It was then that Tifa noticed that there were still two people missing from the celebration. She turned her gaze to the Shinra Manor, or rather the burning silhouette of it. Her stomach took a nosedive, landing somewhere near the center of the planet.

It was called right back up when the main doorway exploded, revealing the shadows of two men, struggling to escape the wreck. Tifa sprinted for the main gateway, just as the remaining framework of Shinra Manor collapsed.

As she drew closer, Tifa made out the two figures. Her spirit soared as she saw that both men were indeed alive. Barret was barely conscious and in pain, Cid was coughing and dry heaving like a plague victim, but they were very much alive.

Barret gave her a weak thumbs up with a matching grin, reassuring Tifa that he'd pull through. Cid on the other hand, collapsed nearby. He fell onto his back, eyes fluttering shut.

She rushed over, ensuring that his heart was still breathing and that his lungs were still working. Satisfied that he would recover, Tifa let out a pent-up sigh. That was far too close for her liking.

To her surprise, the entire party had gathered to make sure that the last two out of the ruined manor were okay. After reaffirming that they were, Cloud began to pace. Tifa knew that he only did that when he was doing some heavy thinking. Usually he needed to do thinking of this caliber when things had taken a turn for the worst.

"Okay," He said slowly, rubbing his mouth with both hands in a prayer-like arrangement. "Our favorite DeepGround friends have been added to our to-do list now, for some reason."

"Genesis said something about moving his timetable up, thanks to us." Tseng said, sitting down. He returned his pistol into the shoulder holster under his left arm. "Lord only knows where the Tsviets have been assigned."

"First remnants and now these guys?" Reno scoffed. "I guess we're not gonna worry about getting laid off any time soon!"

"I would suggest we contact Reeve." Rude said, adjusting his glasses. "He would be the first to know of any sort of attack the targets might stage."

"Agreed." Cloud said. "There's no telling what kind of hell these guys can dish out if we give them enough time. Let's go."

"Hang on, Cloud." Tifa piped up. "Shouldn't we take a rest first? We've all taken a beating."

Cloud shook his head. "No time. Every second we waste gives these guys more time to finish whatever they're doing."

Tifa started to protest, but decided against it. He was right, of course. Probably it was her worrying about Barret and Cid that got the better of her.

Rude and Reno helped Barret limp off back to the landing site, with Cait Sith floating him off the ground to help them out. Tifa shook Cid gently, calling to him.

Taking a deep breath, the pilot's eyes fluttered open. Horribly bloodshot as they were, their sides still crinkled slightly as he grinned. "Of all the nice things to wake up to…"

He placed a gloved hand behind Tifa's head, drawing her in for a kiss. Taken aback and slightly embarrassed by the public display, Tifa batted him away. "Cid, come on! Get up, we've got to move! Or did you forget about Genesis?"

"And saving the world too! That's right, isn't it?" Cid said, memory flooding back into him. He grabbed his nearby spear and returned uneasily to his feet. "Let's get this show on the road then!"


	22. Chapter 22: The Gift of the Goddess

Chapter 22: The Gift of the Goddess

Once the airship was in flight again, the most sought-after item was the Cure materia, promoting anyone who possessed it to instant royalty. Barret and Cloud had taken priority, both having taken the most damage. Barret had gone first though so Cloud had the opportunity to report to Reeve about what had transpired in Nibelheim.

As usual the bridge was deserted, save for the tireless pilot. The quick forty winks he'd taken outside what was left of Shinra Manor had been just what the doctor ordered. That and a strong brew of tea which he had just gotten into him.

Cid chuckled at the events that had just taken place; thanking his lucky stars that everyone had made it out alive. Barret would pull through, though his walking would be a little clumsy for a bit. It was too damned close though, with the roof nearly caving in on them. Things happened so fast Cid didn't even have time to wash up. His face was still black and pitted from the smoke that came from what used to be the Shinra Manor.

He hadn't had any news from below deck, but it was a safe bet to think that Barrett's broken leg would be healing up nicely. He knew from experience that even with the support of cure materia, broken bones had a habit of being tender for weeks.

Cid also bet that it was Tifa, her motherly streak shining brightly, who was making sure that everyone was being patched up accordingly. If the scuffle in Nibelheim was any indication of what was to come, they'd need all their strength plus some to come out the other side in one piece.

Irony wasn't one of his strong suits, but even Cid could appreciate it as he took a drag of his cigarette. He was still smoking, even though he nearly died of oxygen deprivation in a fire. Planet only knew what kinds of dangerous shit was used in the walls that had been released into the air, and subsequently into his lungs.

Still, this wasn't the time for change. If they had any hope to survive, they needed to work as a team. And that meant having everyone where they could be effective and depended upon. Cid fulfilled his duty now, flying _Highwind_ over the ocean to the main continent.

Breathing deeply, thanking whatever power allowed him to be here, Cid wasn't quite deep enough in thought to miss the door whispering open.

Tifa walked softly onto the bridge, looking over. Cid could tell by the ways she tried to hide her footfalls she preferred a subtle approach. Dangling the smoke in the corner of his mouth, he decided to play along.

Waiting until she crept up to a few feet, he indicated his left ear. "These still work, yanno. I'm not getting younger honey, but I'm not deaf yet."

In his minds eye, Cid could see Tifa's pout, making extensive use of her full lips. He half-turned to her, smiling warmly. "I'm still glad you're here, though."

With one practiced hand, Cid flipped the autopilot toggle on and moved away from the wheel. Tifa stepped forward and draped her arms around his firm shoulders. She was just as dishevelled and worn-out as he supposed he looked, but Cid didn't really care. The way her hair became wavy halfway down and the natural healthy tone of her skin -free of the bias of makeup - made her seem especially lovely.

Cid's hands settled north of Tifa's hips and he drew her close. Their lips avoided contact, but they held each other for a few tender moments. The tension that had knotted the pilot's stomach for the last few hours melted away as he knew that one danger, a very clear and present one, had been left behind. Still, Tifa had come that close to losing him. That was something Cid did not take lightly.

They finally gained a bit of distance, but the couple did not let each other go. It was in this close proximity Tifa noticed a large gash on Cid's arm.

Without a word, she touched it and the cure materia latched onto her forearm glowed bright green. The pain, only evident when Cid noticed the wound, ebbed away until all that was left was a dull throb and a thin scar to prove he had been injured.

This time, Cid didn't hold back. His thanks came in the form of a tender kiss, while Tifa's type of "You're Welcome" involved leaning into it, enveloping Cid in her arms so that he'd never be able to leave again.

Cid Highwind had no intention of trying to escape. His kissed trailed down her angled jaw line, onto her slender, precious neck. A surge of emotion caused him to bare and use his teeth a bit.

Tifa gasped in delight. "You're excited," She breathed into his nearby ear.

"Mountain air that did it, most likely." Cid said in a low voice, muffled by the other demands on his mouth, "Or maybe I'm just glad to still be alive."

"You're not the only who's glad about that." Tifa said, taking a tuft of windblown blonde hair into her hand. Pulling gently at the base so as not to hurt him, she brought his face to hers. "Just what happened down there, Cid?"

Cid grimaced slightly, the lines on his face more pronounced. Some were etched by age, some by cigarette smoke and some by drink and he suddenly looked a lot older and inferned. "That… whatever it was barged right through the supports in the basement. Brought the whole mansion down on itself, and nearly on us."

"That's what started the fire?" Tifa asked. Cid nodded in response.

"Yeah, we busted the old gas main. A spark ignited it and set the whole place ablaze." His indifference was unsettling even to himself, but it was the way it was. "Barrett and I crashed down when the spiral staircase gave, and we barely got out with our lives. I had to practically carry him out."

"That explains his broken leg." Tifa said, ponderously. Her expression shifted sharply when Cid's words registered in her head. "You carried _Barrett_ out?"

"Yeah, and it would have been a lot easier if I had some breathable air while I was doing it." Cid said, dryly. His lips contorted into a withering snarl as he remembered. It only lasted for a second as he met Tifa's eyes and the warmth flooded back into his face. "And here I am, still chain smoking."

Tifa shook her head ruefully. "You're incorrigible, you know that?"

"Uh-huh." Cid said, grinning ear to ear as he re-established his hold around her waist. "And you wouldn't have me any other way."

Tifa nodded as she kissed him gently. It was only when Cid opened his eyes again that he noticed a cut above her left eyebrow. The bladed sights of Pandora's revolver had lacerated the skin where it struck. She evidently was last in line for use of the cure materia she had. Deciding that she needed something to tide her over, Cid kissed the small cut, hoping to drain away all the hurt she felt.

The two of them separated instantly when the doors hissed open. Tifa adjusted her hair and Cid busied himself with his cigarette.

Cloud walked onto the bridge, slightly slower than usual. White magic, when used liberally, often left the subject in a state of mild light-headedness and disorientation. Cloud didn't let it show, however, for he was able to maintain an air of purpose and intent.

"We've been in touch with Reeve and he's got us another lead." He said, simply. "You know the way to Banora?"

Cid folded his arms. "Now that's a name I haven't heard in years. Sure, I do. Ready to go?"

Cloud nodded. "I'm going below to get some rest."

"Don't worry 'bout a thing." Cid assured him. "I've got this under control."

Cloud gave a rare half-smile. "Thanks, Cid." And without another word, he left.

Cid heaved a long sigh. "One thing after another. Some days I feel like I'm gonna be doing this for the rest of my life." He said as _Highwind _changed course and sped off into the night.

It was early morning when _Highwind_ touched down just outside Banora's former city limits, not terribly far from Fort Condor. There were still a few strange, arch-like trees surviving, but little else. The mountains in the distance were barely visible to the North, with what looked like endless stretches of plains in every other direction.

The town site was below their landing point, but there was very little left. The terrain had taken extensive bomb and fire damage, but instead of rebuilding, the denizens had evidently left it in this state and moved on. Assuming they survived, of course.

The sun had not risen yet, but the feel of the cold spring air threatened rain. The breeze was unusually cold for this time of year, arousing goosebumps from just about everyone as they exited the airship. Windbreakers and light thermal fatigues were taken out of storage before the party began to move in on the town.

The only evidence that anything had been disturbed recently was a collection of barricades surrounding the burn site had been broken through and discarded. On the ground were sets of footprints.

Having a good deal of experience dealing with such things, Red got up close. Sniffing and pawing at the soil, he delivered his report with all due haste.

"There are three distinct sets of footprints here." He said. "Two are old, and I can't even begin to guess how long they've been here, but one is definitely fresh."

"Belonging to one of the Tsviets?" Yuffie asked as she repressed a shiver, resulting from a gust of cold air coming from the East.

"Could be." Red said, impassively. "I haven't the faintest idea of what one of their footprints looks like without a picture for reference, so your guess is as good as mine."

"We know that there have been sightings of someone in this area." Elena said. "But why are these targets so important? Why not just go after Genesis himself?"

"DeepGround soldiers, including the Tsviets were created through offshoots of the parent material." Tseng said. His complexion was still slightly pale and the durable suit he wore didn't quite cover the multiple dressings he wore. "In this case, the parent material was removed from Genesis."

"Always this Genesis guy." Barrett said. "What is he, some kinda guinea pig?"

"The Jenova cells inside of him were something the company was working on." Tseng said. "They work like a conduit for mutations and transformations, allowing Genesis to pass on his traits to other beings. In retrospect, it turned around on us."

"You seem to know a lot about this." Red said as he gave the Turk a sidelong gaze filled with distrust.

"The Turks investigate anyone in the interest of the company." Tseng's tone had dropped ten degrees. "Anything that could compromise the integrity of the company, outside or within."

"All right, that's enough." Cloud said, taking a decisive step forward. "We're here for a reason. If we're lucky, we'll be able to determine their next move, but we can't do that if we're at each other's throats."

Cid bared his teeth slightly as he remembered how he and Cloud had nearly killed each other outside the Forgotten City. He was grateful that not another word was said and they proceeded down into the burnt ruin.

Not far into the old township, a sinkhole revealed itself. There was a small drop down, but the air coming up suggested a larger cavern below. The party entered the cavern, staying close together so as not to get lost. Red cast a large Illumination spell to keep the party visible to each other.

The soft glow displayed part of the cavern walls, showing parts that looked like they used to be inhabited. A workshop, desk and empty cans of Banora dumb apple juice lay scattered about. The thick layer of dust on all these items told the team that they had been there for years, undisturbed. The long extinguished lanterns looked on like vigilant sentinels.

Those habitable parts of the cave were on the upper levels. The lower level was darker, colder and much more foreboding.

"Whaddya suppose we'll find down here?" Yuffie said, honestly trying to make conversation to ease everyone's nerves.

Tense nerves were definitely the case for Reno, who said tersely "Who knows? Let's just get the job done and get outta here. This spooky hole gives me the creeps."

Tifa let out a light chuckle. "Don't tell me you're scared."

"Hey, I've learned to trust this old friend." Reno said as he tapped the side of his nose. "And right now it tells me that something's up."

That effectively silenced the conversation and the rest of the descent was silent. Yuffie would occasionally comment on how her ears were gauging the change in air pressure. Whenever she ventured a guess as to how deep into the earth they were, nobody fuelled her guesswork. She fell silent shortly thereafter, though not without a pout on her face.

That expression vanished quickly however, when they reached the bottom of the cavern. The cathedral-like cavern had a small layer of ankle-deep shallows containing cold water. Crystallized mako, larger than any kind of mako fountain ever before recorded was strewn about the cavern like a garden.

The sight was breathtaking. The erethral sight of the mako fountains cast an eerie blue light about the cavern, like it was lit by an artificial source. Reno commented that the light would make for good pictures.

"Holy…" Barrett whispered. "Would you look at that…"

"I think I can retire as materia hunter now…" Yuffie said. "Just how much do you guys think all that mako's worth?"

"I don't think they invented a number high enough yet." Cloud murmured.

"Say, what's that over there?" Elena asked, pointing to the far end of the cave. Most of the party wasn't able to see it, but a small hole in the wall looked like the entrance to another chamber.

Cloud said that whatever it was it could bear closer inspection. The party got underway shortly thereafter.

"Stay close together and don't touch anything." He added. "We don't know if there are any traps rigged here."

"You don't suppose this is a crypt by any chance, do you?" Reno said, sounding like he was becoming edgier. "I sure as hell didn't sign up to do any grave robbing."

"What's the matter, hot shot?" Barrett asked. "Scared of the dark?"

"I just don't like things that have to do with death is all." Reno said, defensively. "Graveyards, coffins, stiff corpses and the like. Don't laugh, I'm serious! It's been that way since I was little!"

"Squeamish much?" Cloud needled. "You're becoming more human all the time."

Reno huffed as the party splashed their way towards the far opening. Before long, they happened upon a source of light. A small cave, overrun by moss with a small pedestal or shrine in the center. Beyond, the mouth of another cave stood, shining with the same intense, eerie light. The chamber looked like something removed from an ancient burial vault or cathedral.

Reno did a double-take and nearly bolted out the way they came. "This is too creepy. I told you this place was a crypt! I'm out, man! Game over!"

Rude restrained his partner by the arm. "If this is a crypt, where are the bodies? The tombstones, the caskets?"

Reno looked about, reason prevailing over his blind panic. He rubbed the back of is neck in embarrassment and he muttered incomprehensibly. The cave had one thing that set it apart from a tomb; the lack of any buried corpses.

"Come on." Cloud said, sparing Reno's feelings with no more needling. "We're getting close. Hold together."

Proceeding ahead, the larger cave had the same kind of light, emanating from around a statue. It was a large maiden, standing just shy of the cavern roof. In both hands, she was clutching a sphere.

And in front of the statue stood a tall woman, her back was to the party and she was wearing silver and Mako coloured armour. She spoke softly.

"So Pandora was unsuccessful. No matter, I never cared much for the silly brat."

"And you're any better?" Cloud said, stepping forward and unsheathing First Tsurugi. Behind him, he heard the rustle of weapons being drawn to stand by positions. Not enough to provoke, but enough to defend themselves if necessary.

"Little old me?" The Tsviet turned to face the party. Cloud was slightly taken aback. If she had smiled, she would have been rather beautiful.

She wore a mask of mock innocence, as well as a silver headdress that stretched all the way down her neck. An effective way of shielding the back of her head, one of the human body's most vulnerable spots. Her silver armour seemed to form to her body, nearly skin-tight. Cloud took special note of this. Her armour seemed to be designed for agility, probably trading off damage protection for this movement bonus.

"My name is Argento the Silver. And mine is the last face you are all likely to see."

Faster than any of them could blink, two small pistols appeared in Argento's hands. Her stance shifted to a lazy, lopsided one, placing the two pistols perpendicular to the ground.

Despite the unusual stance, it was frighteningly effective. The two pistols were calibrated for three-round bursts, blasting out six indiscriminate rounds with each pull of the respective triggers.

The first six caught First Tsurugi, wrenching it from Cloud's grasp. He ran after it, casting a Blizzaga spell behind him as he ran.

The powerful ice spell missed as Argento preformed a high back flip onto the large statue. Her twin pistols rained semi-automatic fire down on the party, causing them to seek cover wherever they could find it. Cloud separated First Tsurugi into two distinct pieces and assumed a defensive posture until he could get a chance for close-range fighting.

Argento was clearly trained for speed and agility, darting and weaving about the statue. Her boots found footholds that barely gripped her toes, and still she stood firm. And a half-second later, she'd be in another impossible stance. Taunting the party as she did so, this entire fight nearly seemed as if it was a dance to her.

As she danced out of the way of a Gravity spell, Cloud noticed thin cabling running to a small illuminated square on her belt. The receiving end ran up her arms and into the mess of black hair.

Argento seemed to move and bob in a specific pattern, the same way Cloud had seen at a rave dance once upon a time. He had learned to trust his instincts, and they told him that this was indeed a dance. Complete with theme music!

A beam of light seared an arm off the statue as Barrett's Deathblow attack missed by a mile. This girl was fast, no doubt about that. _Must be some intense music blasting through her hears to produce results like that!_

Avoiding a Fira blast from Red that ignited the local foliage, Argento landed on the ground, taking the fight up close and personal. Casting a quick Shield spell, she ejected both magazines and popped new ones in from the heels of her boots.

_This girl likes her toys!_ Cloud thought as he recovered from the last dive he took. Before he could react, Cid had already sprung into action. A hair's breadth of a second after Argento landed to reload, the pilot's Contain materia unleashed a Break spell.

Break is a powerful Earth-based attack, more powerful than can be achieved through Quake materia. It was used primarily by high-end mining companies, thanks to its expensiveness and higher efficiency rating than Quake. If used properly, it could cause a major earthquake.

Argento noticed the ground beginning to churn beneath her boots after she cocked both of her pistols. She leapt onto the side of the cavern, kicking off of it to gain more altitude. All the while, she fired down at the party.

As she perched herself on the statue, her luck ran thin. A loud crack from Elena's sniper cannon proved Cloud's theory about the armour Argento wore. The high-calibre shot punched clean through not only Argento's armour, but her body just below the ribcage. She faltered, dropping her pistols in an attempt to hold on.

This made her an easy target for the barrage of spells that began to rain down upon her. The Tsviet dropped to the ground below, adjusting her body in a way that it absorbed the fall in the least painful way. Springing back up to her feet, she brought a submachine gun out from the small of her back.

The small arms fire peppered the surrounding walls with holes, as if the weapon were specifically designed not to be accurate. Then again, it was fired by a running, wounded wielder for a distraction.

"After her!" It wasn't certain who the rallying call belonged to, but it was enough to get everyone running for the upper level. The stale air didn't do the party's already working-on-overtime lungs any favours, but there was very little choice in the matter.

Upon reaching the upper level, Cloud's suspicion of traps was warranted, making him mutter about how he hated being right. Argento purposefully darted close to the Mako fountains, setting off the traps within. Out sprang the apparent guardians of the place, a type of monster never before recorded. Judging from the wide berth Argento gave them, they were not to be trifled with.

On the plus side, their conceptions of who their enemies were seemed to be universal as they attacked both Argento and the party. The Tsviet made for the exit, but was stopped short by a collection of three of the monsters.

The things were tough though, able to take round after round that Argento pumped into them. The strength of the beasts added a complication to the battle, one that Cloud grimaced at once he'd sized up the situation.

He cleaved through one monster with a Braver strike, parrying the blows the creatures sent his way. As a follow-through maneuver, Cloud quite literally disarmed the next one and then decapitated it. The headless body fell to the ground, gushing blue blood. Hitting a catch along First Tsurugi's hilt, the sword divided into two. Holding the main body in one hand and the flat short one in his other, the configuration was best to deal damage in these close quarters the creatures evidently preferred.

Flipping his body sideways, he caught the crucial point of a spear thrust and used the inertia the creature put into the thrust to flip the tables in his favour. At the same time, Cloud turned the short blade's grip from a slashing posture to a stabbing one. Burying the blade into the creature's back and then removing it brought the maneuver to a finish after only three seconds.

Behind him, another one made the mistake of challenging the awesome tag-team that was Rude and Reno. The hopeful monster aimed a downward slash that would have gone right through the unruly crop of neon red hair, had Reno not dodged it and slid behind the enemy. Rude came out of nowhere, stomping the blade the out of the monster's hand, claw, paw, whatever it was.

The bald Turk delivered a quick and powerful roundhouse kick that sent the creature stumbling backwards. It's only reward for staying on its feet was a strike from Reno's stun baton that served the creature back to Rude. It was almost as if they were playing a twisted game of racquetball, with the creature instead of the regulation yellow ball.

Yuffie had decided to take a leaf out of her enemy's book and used the height in the cavern to her advantage. Cleaning up around one of the mako fountains with a Slash-all attack, she clambered up onto the fountain to gain a bird's eye view. She used the Aero materia to buffet the enemies with massive gusts of cold wind, whether it knocked them into the cave walls, the mako fountains for explosive results or into each other, Yuffie wreaked havoc on the enemy forces.

Using her good eyesight, she couldn't help but notice that a group of the monsters had gathered together, pooling their magic. The familiar crackle of lightning began to form between the five of them.

"Oh, no you don't!" Yuffie called out. "I HATE Bolt magic!"

Taking the largest edge of the Ninji Flashbang, she threw it down towards the small congregation. It struck one, and then the other and the other, until all five of them lay dead. Yuffie leapt off of the mako fountain onto another, catching her Flashbang and missing a Firaga spell that incinerated her previous perch.

"Oh, that's just plain uncool." She huffed. "Guys, watch out! They've got magic and they're not too happy with us!"

Red had his paws full between balancing Cait Sith on his head and holding his own against the hoard of enemies. Still, his mental discipline allowed him to maintain control over his surroundings as he rammed enemies off their feet and broke bones between his powerful jaws.

Cait Sith was many things; gambler, housecat, connoisseur. But he could never be called a freeloader. He covered Red's six o clock, manipulating enemies to attack each other, confusing them and shrinking parts of them in a fashion that was nearly comical. However loud he was at shouting the incantations, it didn't seem to affect Red at all. Despite the fact that Cait Sith was right beside the larger feline's ears.

Even if the support from Cait Sith was minimal and only helped to stagger the opponents, it still made them easy targets for Pandora's Hellion revolver, now in the care on Vincent Valentine. The heavy rounds cut down scores of them, six at a time. During his reload intervals. The Comet materia he wielded brought down large chunks of the ceiling down upon the monsters.

Barrett covered Elena, frighteningly accurate with the Deathblow materia he had. Elena's sniper cannon was the only thing that came close to matching the marksmanship, and she couldn't hold a candle to the Corelite's rate of fire. Tseng covered their six, his pistol growing hot.

Tifa's method of combat favoured the up close and personal approach the monsters took, as they marched to their own destruction. Although her knowledge of disarming moves and quick finishes was formidable, she quickly burned through the majority of them just to keep the fighting even.

Not that she had to worry too much, as Cid would have had to be pried away from her. He covered her back as she covered his, the length of the Holy Lance keeping the enemies back. Whenever they got too close or too organized, he scattered them with a strategically placed Thundaga or Flare spell.

Blocking a jab from a crude short sword that would have easily taken her head off, Tifa rolled her back along the arm until she was in a position on the monster she'd generally reserve only for Cid. Unlike the pilot, the monster received a solid elbow to the trachea. It was delivered with a sickening crack and the creature fell, wheezing.

Looking up from her latest victim, she saw a Sahagin-like monster pop up from behind Cid. Instinctively, without hesitation, she cast a shield spell to protect him.

Cid felt the impact of the enemy's attack, and felt it deflected off. He turned away from the monsters he was currently engaged with to see Tifa take down his would-be assassin with a kick to the side, followed by a one-two punch.

Grinning at her concern, but more so at his temporary sense of near-impunity, Cid lashed out to deal massive damage at point-blank range.

Of course, all good things had to come to an end. The Shield spell didn't last long, and soon Cid found him as vulnerable as he always was. It seemed that the monsters noticed that the Shield spell had worn off too, for six of them began to charge at him.

Taking a moment to light a much needed cigarette, Cid also removed a stick of dynamite from his jacket pocket. Lighting the decidedly short fuse with the burning end of his smoke, the pilot chucked it into the oncoming hoard.

The explosion was as loud, destructive and satisfying as he hoped. Parts that he didn't care to try and identify started raining down centered around the resulting smoking crater

Tifa, he noticed, didn't need to be worried about. Apparently, she had brought out the big guns. Cid never knew Tifa had studied Judo, but it didn't altogether surprise him.

Another jab from a monster had been caught by Tifa, who flipped the monster over her back and onto the ground. All of its weight played against it, knocking the wind out of the creature. Tifa dusted it off with a quick jab to the face.

However, it didn't matter how many of the Mako Guardians they took down. Argento was still on the other side of the cavern, with a good deal of the creatures between her and the party.

Yuffie was the one to put two and two together as she saw the shallows running blue with the enemy's blood. And wherever there was water…

Yuffie grinned at the blood red materia fitted onto her forearm. Accessing it, she called out "Take cover, guys!"

The shallows began to churn and bubble and a tidal wave washed the monsters off their feet. The giant sea serpent Leviathan accompanied, it, turning the battle in the party's favour.

Giving the summon a wide berth, the party chased after Argento. Leviathan was much more suited to deal with the monsters.

The Tsviet however, had noticed that things weren't looking good for her. She stopped just before the cavern entrance and sent an Ultima spell skyward.

The roof of the cavern, weakened by Vincent's liberal use of Comet materia, had no hope of standing up to the high-powered magic. The green spark detonated with a deafening roar, destabilizing the cavern.

Barrett led the mad dash out of the collapsing ruin as Leviathan retreated back to the netherworld he came from.

The thundering rush of rocks from above made it a difficult to escape, causing the party to dance around the falling debris. It was a hairy ordeal, between the dust and the possibility of being brained at any given moment, but battered and bruised, they emerged out of the cave mouth.

Argento had evidently put a little faith in the party, for she prepared for their arrival. The same kind of red materia Yuffie used to call forth Leviathan was now being used by the Tsviet. Above their heads, storm clouds began to form and another summon come into being.

The wind picked up as the summon emerged. It was a hideous pink color with a conical body, a face on each end of it. His hair whipping about in the gale, Vincent was able to identify it. "TYPHOON!"

The wind-based summon bore down on the party with no pity. Flying debris caused by its presence obscured their collective vision and the powerful gust were enough to uproot the local trees.

Even the combined strength of Yuffie's Aero materia and Cid's Tornado spells couldn't compare to the gale force of Typhoon. Their magic was simply used to fuel the maelstrom of destruction produced by the summon.

Any spells or bullets sent upwards were swept aside and the summon would simply home in on the caster. Cid threw his spear to the ground in disgust. Nothing any of them could throw at the summon would hurt it. Using what he always relied on to be his last resort when all else failed, he cast a Thundaga spell at Typhoon. The summon saw the bolt coming and banked sharply, roaring. If Cid didn't know better, he'd say that it would have been scared.

_Lightning! Of course! Cid mentally slapped himself for being so stupid. Typhoon was a being of the sky, where lighting posed the greatest threat. Being a pilot, that should have been second nature to him. And the other part of the equation was the Ramuh materia he had attached to his Holy Lance. _

"_I've had enough of this bullshit," He said, more to himself than anyone else as he used that particular orb._

_Not far from the party, there was a phenomenon that should not have been able to occur naturally. Lighting struck repeatedly in the same place, and for good reason. Out of the center of this disturbance came the lightning God himself, Ramuh._

_Like most summons, he never said too much, despite having been born human an untold number of years ago. The power he belied however, was certainly not to be trifled with. Staff held aloft, lighting began to emanate in all directions. The party ran for cover to avoid the dangerous strikes, save for Cid. His fondness of lighting-based magic had prompted him to acquire a Bolt Ring; an enchanted trinket that absorbed and harmlessly redirected the electric current. To that end, Cid turned his back on the two summons and covered Tifa as best he could. _

_Typhoon took the worst of the punishment, as was intended. The ugly summon shrieked in pain as the arcs tore into it, leaving black burn marks. Eventually, it succumbed to its grievous injuries and shrivelled as it fell to the ground, dissolving back to the magic it was spawned from._

_The way Argento's face dropped, seeing the mighty Typhoon fall, almost made Cid wish he'd brought a camera. She screamed, reloaded her weapon at blinding speed and brought it to bear._

_Yuffie hadn't wasted any time, though. She snuck up behind Argento and slashed with her Flashbang. _

_The Tsviet stiffened, eyes wide, before she fell quietly. Yuffie was a bubbly bundle of energy, but a force to be reckoned with in a fight. A trait that contrasted nicely with her personality._

"_All right, Cait! Do your thing!"_

_Cait Sith wasted no time, collecting the essence of Argento the Silver as she dissolved into oblivion. Her armour, reinforced with raw Mako went with her._

_The party heaved a collective sigh of relief at Cait announcement that he got her._

"_Things got dicey in there." Reno panted._

"_Yeah, but we're a long way from being done." Cloud said, picking himself back up with noticeable effort. "C'mon. Let's get out of here."_


End file.
